Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन रक्षणीयस्त्वसौ शिशुः । गुणोपि दोषतां याति वक्रीभूते विधातरि

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena rakṣaṇīyastvasau śiśuḥ | guṇopi doṣatāṃ yāti vakrībhūte vidhātari

Translation

Потому всеми силами следует оберегать того младенца. Ибо даже добродетель становится пороком, когда Предначертатель (судьба) обращается вспять.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति पञ्चमी-रूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental) प्रयोगेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: with all effort)

• रक्षणीयः: to be protected
• रक्षणीयः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षणीय (कृदन्त; तव्यत्/अनीयर्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be protected); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• असौ: that (child)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिशुः: infant, child
• शिशुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गुणः: virtue, quality
• गुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• दोषताम्: the state of fault/vice
• दोषताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोषता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• याति: goes, turns into
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वक्रीभूते: when (he) has become adverse/crooked
• वक्रीभूते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्री (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव; ‘वक्रीभूत’ = crooked/turned adverse (PPP)

• विधातरि: in the Ordainer (Fate/Brahmā)
• विधातरि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage urgently advising guardians to protect a child; gestures of warning; protective amulets, lamps, and a threshold scene suggesting guarding against unseen forces.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhātṛ (Ordainer/Creator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human effort and responsibility remain essential; one must act dharmically even while acknowledging destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, but it does not praise a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical injunction is given: protect the child with all effort; no specific rite is stated.