Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

कालरात्र्युवाच । दैत्यराज महाप्राज्ञ नैतद्युक्तं भवादृशाम् । वयं दूत्यः परवशा राजनीतिविदुत्तम

Transliteration

kālarātryuvāca | daityarāja mahāprājña naitadyuktaṃ bhavādṛśām | vayaṃ dūtyaḥ paravaśā rājanītividuttama

Translation

กาลราตรีกล่าวว่า: “โอ้ราชาแห่งไทตยะ ผู้ทรงปรีชาญาณยิ่ง สิ่งนี้ไม่สมควรแก่ท่านผู้เป็นเช่นนี้ เราเป็นเพียงทูตหญิงผู้ต้องอยู่ใต้อำนาจคำสั่งของผู้อื่น โอ้ผู้รู้รัฐนิติอันประเสริฐ”

Word by Word

• कालरात्रिः: Kālarātrī
• कालरात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: काल+रात्रि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/past narrative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• दैत्यराज: O king of demons
• दैत्यराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य+राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: दैत्यानां राजा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा+प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महांश्चासौ प्राज्ञः (कर्मधारयः); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• युक्तम्: proper, fitting
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• भवादृशाम्: of people like you
• भवादृशाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्+दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: भवदृशः (भवतः इव दृशः) बहुव्रीहिः; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• दूत्यः: female messengers
• दूत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• परवशाः: dependent on others
• परवशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर+वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: परस्य वशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• राजनीतिविदुत्तम: O best knower of polity
• राजनीतिविदुत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजनीति+विद्+उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: राजनीतिं वेत्ति इति राजनीतिवित् (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः) + उत्तम (कर्मधारय-भावः); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Kālarātrī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālarātrī, as a stern messenger, addresses the daitya king with composed authority, reminding him of propriety and her status as an envoy under orders.

Characters & Entities

• Kālarātrī
• Daitya king

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in conflict, Dharma includes restraint: harming or dishonoring messengers violates proper conduct and invites downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.