Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28
Devanagari script
कति चैव न पश्यंति नौ सुखस्थाविह प्रिये । तेभ्यो यदीह भेतव्यं कुतो नौ तत्सुखं प्रिये
Transliteration
kati caiva na paśyaṃti nau sukhasthāviha priye | tebhyo yadīha bhetavyaṃ kuto nau tatsukhaṃ priye
Translation
“प्रिये, इह सुखस्थौ नौ कियन्तो न पश्यन्ति। तेभ्यः यदि भेतव्यं, कुतो नौ तत्सुखं प्रिये?”
Word by Word
कतिhow many
कति:
Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootकति (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुवचनार्थक-प्रश्नवाचक; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समाना-रूपम्
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
एवindeed; just
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात (emphasis)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
पश्यन्तिsee
पश्यन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√पश् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
नौus two
नौ:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विवचन; षष्ठी/द्वितीया-समाना-रूपम् (of us / us two)
सुखस्थौbeing at ease
सुखस्थौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुखस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (सुखे स्थः)
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय
प्रियेO beloved
प्रिये:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
तेभ्यःfrom them
तेभ्यः:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन
यदिif
यदि:
Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि (अव्यय)
Formशर्त-निपात (conditional)
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय
भेतव्यम्is to be feared; should be feared
भेतव्यम्:
Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Root√भी (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि/कर्मणि-भावः: ‘ought to be feared / should fear’
कुतःhow then? whence?
कुतः:
Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकुतः (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: whence/how)
नौfor us two; our
नौ:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विवचन; षष्ठी/द्वितीया-समाना-रूपम्
तत्सुखम्that happiness
तत्सुखम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतत् + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तत् सुखम् = that happiness)
प्रियेO beloved
प्रिये:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
Speaker
Pārāvata (the male pigeon)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Two pigeons sit close together on a temple stone; the female glances outward anxiously as shadows suggest unseen predators; the male points out that many passersby do not even notice them.
Characters & Entities
P
Pārāvatī (female pigeon)P
Pārāvata (male pigeon)FAQs
True peace is not merely external comfort; it requires freedom from fear and a stable sense of refuge.
Indirectly Kāśī’s sacred environment; the verse itself focuses on psychological fear within a holy setting.
None.