Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अवधेहि महाराज किमेतत्कर्मदुष्करम् । अनाथायास्तथैकस्या अबलया विशेषतः

Transliteration

avadhehi mahārāja kimetatkarmaduṣkaram | anāthāyāstathaikasyā abalayā viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ହେ ମହାରାଜ, ବିଚାର କରନ୍ତୁ—ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କିପରି ଦୁଷ୍କର ହେବ? ବିଶେଷତଃ ସେ ଅନାଥା, ଏକାକିନୀ ଓ ଦୁର୍ବଳା ନାରୀ ଥିବାବେଳେ।

Word by Word

• अवधेहि: please understand / take note
• अवधेहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः अव-

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन (singular); समासः महा + राज

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• कर्मदुष्करम्: a difficult task
• कर्मदुष्करम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः कर्मणः दुष्करम् (कर्म-तत्पुरुष)

• अनाथायाः: of a helpless (woman)
• अनाथायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of manner)

• एकस्याः: of one (alone)
• एकस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular); संख्याविशेषणम्

• अबलया: by/for a weak (woman)
• अबलया: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विशेषणार्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Daityas (replying to their lord; deduced from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boastful minister/warrior addresses a great asura-king, dismissing the difficulty of seizing a lone, unprotected woman; the court atmosphere is tense, with looming threat rather than devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Danuja-lord (implied)
• Vindhyavāsinī (implied as ‘she’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogance arises from misjudging divine power by worldly categories; Purāṇas warn against underestimating the protected or the sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha mention; the scene remains within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.