Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

इत्यंधकवचः श्रुत्वा स्थिरधीर्भार्गवोमुनिः । किंचित्स्मितं तदा कृत्वा दानवाधिपमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

ityaṃdhakavacaḥ śrutvā sthiradhīrbhārgavomuniḥ | kiṃcitsmitaṃ tadā kṛtvā dānavādhipamabravīt

Translation

அந்தகனின் சொற்களை கேட்ட நிலைத்த மனத்தையுடைய பார்கவ முனிவர், அப்போது சிறிது புன்னகை செய்து தானவர்களின் தலைவனை நோக்கி கூறினார்.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यन्तसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अन्धक-वचः: Andhaka's speech
• अन्धक-वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘the words of Andhaka’

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having heard’

• स्थिर-धीः: steady-minded
• स्थिर-धीः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः ‘one whose intellect is steady’ (as epithet)

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; भार्गवः इति समानाधिकरण

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Sambandha (Degree/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (a little)

• स्मितम्: a smile
• स्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having done/made’

• दानव-अधिपम्: the lord of the Dānavas
• दानव-अधिपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु) लङ्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘he said’

Speaker

Skanda (narrator; reporting the scene)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm Bhārgava sage stands amid the aftermath of battle; Andhaka’s forceful demand hangs in the air; the sage’s lips curve in a restrained smile before he speaks.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Bhārgava (Śukrācārya)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True mastery is marked by steadiness and restraint; the sage responds with composure rather than agitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it is embedded within the Kāśī-centered Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition into instruction.