Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सा मंत्रिवाक्यमाकर्ण्य केवलं पतिदेवता । अत्याक्षीत्तं तथा प्राप्तं तनयं नयकोविदा

Transliteration

sā maṃtrivākyamākarṇya kevalaṃ patidevatā | atyākṣīttaṃ tathā prāptaṃ tanayaṃ nayakovidā

Translation

ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କ କଥା ଶୁଣି ମଧ୍ୟ, ଯାହାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ପତି ହିଁ ଦେବତା, ସେ ସେହି ପରାମର୍ଶକୁ ଅସ୍ୱୀକାର କଲେ। ନୟନୀତିରେ ପାରଙ୍ଗତ ରାଣୀ ନିଜ ପାଖକୁ ଆସିଥିବା ପୁତ୍ରକୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରି ରଖିଲେ।

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• maṃtri-vākyam: the ministers’ words
• maṃtri-vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtrin (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; मन्त्रिणः वाक्यम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (accusative singular)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘आकर्ण्य’ = श्रुत्वा (having heard)

• kevalam: only/merely
• kevalam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषणार्थे क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial use; only/merely)

• pati-devatā: (she who held) husband as deity
• pati-devatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; पतिः देवता यस्याः/यस्या इति (husband-as-deity; here as epithet)

• ati-ākṣīt: rejected/ignored
• ati-ākṣīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + √akṣ (अक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘अत्याक्षीत्’ = अत्यन्तं रक्षति/अवधीद् (context: rejected/ignored)

• tam: that (advice)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; that)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• prāptam: obtained/received
• prāptam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√āp (आप् धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तम्’ (having obtained/received; agreeing with tanayam)

• tanayam: son
• tanayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• naya-kovidā: skilled in statecraft
• naya-kovidā: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naya (प्रातिपदिक) + kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; नये कोविदा इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (nominative singular; skilled in policy)

Speaker

Narrator voice (deductively: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen, composed and resolute, refuses the ministers’ demand and embraces the child, embodying protective dharma and inner strength.

Characters & Entities

• Queen (rājñī)
• Ministers (amātya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment (naya) includes steadfastness and compassion, not merely fear-driven decisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī) but does not directly praise a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on moral choice and conduct.