Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

देवे रुद्रत्वमापन्ने देवी दक्षसुताभवत् । सापि तप्त्वा तपस्तीव्रं सती काश्यां वरार्थिनी

Transliteration

deve rudratvamāpanne devī dakṣasutābhavat | sāpi taptvā tapastīvraṃ satī kāśyāṃ varārthinī

Translation

ਜਦੋਂ ਦੇਵ ਨੇ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ-ਭਾਵ ਧਾਰਿਆ, ਤਦੋਂ ਦੇਵੀ ਦਕਸ਼ ਦੀ ਧੀ ਬਣੀ। ਉਹ ਸਤੀ ਵੀ ਵਰ ਦੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਨਾਲ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਤੀਬਰ ਤਪ ਕਰਦੀ ਰਹੀ।

Word by Word

• deve: in/when (the) god
• deve: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• rudratvam: Rudra-hood, the state of being Rudra
• rudratvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudratva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being Rudra)

• āpanne: having attained
• āpanne: Adhikarana (Locative absolute-like)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√pad (धातु) + āpanna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘having attained’—qualifies ‘deve’

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dakṣasutā: Dakṣa’s daughter
• dakṣasutā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘daughter of Dakṣa’

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• taptvā: having performed austerity
• taptvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having performed austerity/ having heated (oneself)’

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tīvram: intense
• tīvram: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘tapaḥ’

• satī: Satī
• satī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• varārthinī: desiring a boon
• varārthinī: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + arthinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपपद-समास: वरम् अर्थयते इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘satī’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī, as Dakṣa’s daughter, performs intense austerities in Kāśī, evoking the sanctity of the city as a tapas-field under Rudra’s overarching presence.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Satī
• Dakṣa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme field for tapas, where divine intentions quickly ripen into grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the kṣetra where Satī undertakes austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) undertaken with a clear vow/aim (vara-arthinī), though no specific rite is detailed.