Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कालरात्री समासाद्य तं दैत्यं दुष्टचेष्टितम् । उवाच दैत्याधिपते त्यज त्रैलोक्यसंपदम्

Transliteration

kālarātrī samāsādya taṃ daityaṃ duṣṭaceṣṭitam | uvāca daityādhipate tyaja trailokyasaṃpadam

Translation

कालरात्री तं दैत्यं दुष्टचेष्टितं समासाद्य उवाच—हे दैत्याधिपते, त्रैलोक्यसंपदं त्यज।

Word by Word

• kālarātrī: Kālarātrī
• kālarātrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālarātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samāsādya: having approached
• samāsādya: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having approached’

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• daityam: the demon
• daityam: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; apposition to tam

• duṣṭa-ceṣṭitam: of wicked conduct
• duṣṭa-ceṣṭitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + ceṣṭita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from √ceṣṭ)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies daityam

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• daitya-adhipate: O lord of demons
• daitya-adhipate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘lord of demons’; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tyaja: abandon
• tyaja: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• trailokya-saṃpadam: the sovereignty/prosperity of the three worlds
• trailokya-saṃpadam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri-lokya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃpad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘prosperity/sovereignty of the three worlds’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Kālārātrī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālārātrī stands before the daitya king in his dark court; with unwavering gaze she delivers the command to abandon the three-world sovereignty; the demon’s arrogance contrasts her controlled power.

Characters & Entities

• Kālārātrī
• Daityādhipa (asura king)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma is first confronted with a clear warning; rightful rule belongs to dharma-aligned powers, not tyranny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the emphasis is on restoring cosmic order within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a direct command/admonition to the asura.