Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

बालक्रीडनकासक्तां मोहयित्वा निनाय सः । कंकालकेतुर्दुर्वृत्तो दुर्जयोन्यास्त्रघाततः

Transliteration

bālakrīḍanakāsaktāṃ mohayitvā nināya saḥ | kaṃkālaketurdurvṛtto durjayonyāstraghātataḥ

Translation

ขณะนางมัวเพลิดเพลินกับการเล่นเยี่ยงเด็ก เขาก็ลวงให้นางหลงแล้วพานางไป กังกาลเกตุผู้ประพฤติชั่วนั้น ยากจะพิชิตด้วยคมศัสตราอื่นใด

Word by Word

• बालक्रीडनकासक्ताम्: a woman attached to playing with children
• बालक्रीडनकासक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + क्रीडनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (कृदन्त; √सञ्ज्/सक्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘आसक्ता’ इति, ‘ताम् (स्त्री)’ इत्यध्याहार्य

• मोहयित्वा: having deluded
• मोहयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-प्रयोगः; ‘having deluded’

• निनाय: led away
• निनाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कंकालकेतुः: Kaṅkālaketu
• कंकालकेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंकाल + केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम/विशेष-नाम

• दुर्वृत्तः: wicked, of bad conduct
• दुर्वृत्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वृत्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दुर्जयः: hard to defeat
• दुर्जयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘hard to conquer’

• अन्य: of another
• अन्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अन्यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (genitive)

• अस्त्रघाततः: due to a weapon’s blow
• अस्त्रघाततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस्त्र + घात (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तम्—‘from/owing to weapon-strike’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young girl absorbed in play is suddenly seized by the grim asura Kaṃkālaketu; the background suggests Kāśī’s sacred skyline—ghāṭs, temples, and a foreboding aura of adharma intruding into a holy space.

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃkālaketu
• Malayagandhinī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma often operates through delusion (moha); dharma must respond with right means, not merely force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha praise; the episode supports the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s broader dharmic and sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the demon’s method and special invulnerability.