Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

आकचग्रहणान्नाहमाशापाच्च कदाचन । आख्यास्यामि चरित्रं ते याहि देवि यथासुखम्

Transliteration

ākacagrahaṇānnāhamāśāpācca kadācana | ākhyāsyāmi caritraṃ te yāhi devi yathāsukham

Translation

आकचग्रहणात् तथा आशापाच्च कदाचन ते चरित्रं नाख्यास्यामि। देवि, याहि यथासुखम्।

Word by Word

• आकचग्रहणात्: because of the taking/holding of the hair (lock)
• आकचग्रहणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकच + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आशापातात्: because of the fall/ruin of hope
• आशापातात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• आख्यास्यामि: I will tell
• आख्यास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चरित्रम्: story/account
• चरित्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• याहि: go
• याहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• यथासुखम्: as you please/comfortably
• यथासुखम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Chāyā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Chāyā declares she will never reveal Saṃjñā’s story, citing the hair-grasp pledge and hope of protection; Saṃjñā is shown ready to depart, receiving the assurance.

Characters & Entities

• Chāyā
• Saṃjñā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A pledge binds speech; vows (satya) are treated as sacred constraints, even when they support a morally complex concealment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly in this verse; it is part of a larger Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.