Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

यथा देवव्रतस्त्वेको जह्रे काशिसुताः पुरा । तथैक एव हैडंबिर्मौर्वीं प्राप्नोतु मा चिरम्

Transliteration

yathā devavratastveko jahre kāśisutāḥ purā | tathaika eva haiḍaṃbirmaurvīṃ prāpnotu mā ciram

Translation

ดุจดังเทววรตะเคยเพียงผู้เดียวพาธิดาแห่งกษัตริย์กาศีไปในกาลก่อน ฉันใด ขอให้ไหฑัมบิรเพียงผู้เดียวได้มอรวีโดยเร็ว อย่าให้ชักช้า

Word by Word

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (‘as’)

• देवव्रतः: Devavrata (Bhīṣma)
• देवव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवस्य व्रतम् यस्य = ‘Devavrata’, proper name)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• एकः: alone; one
• एकः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् देवव्रतम्

• जहरे: carried off; took away
• जहरे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• काशिसुताः: the daughters of Kāśī
• काशिसुताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), बहुवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काशेः सुताः = ‘daughters of Kāśī’)

• पुरा: formerly; long ago
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तदनुरूप/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (‘so, likewise’)

• एकः: alone; one
• एकः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (implicit subject ‘हैडंबिः’)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic ‘only/indeed’)

• हैडंबिः: Haiḍaṃbi
• हैडंबिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हैडंबि (प्रातिपदिक; proper name)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मौर्वीम्: Mauर्वī (a woman/maiden named Maurvī)
• मौर्वीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्राप्नोतु: may he obtain; let him attain
• प्राप्नोतु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive command), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मा: not
• मा: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेधार्थक-निपातः (prohibitive/negative particle; here with ‘चिरम्’ = ‘not long’)

• चिरम्: for long; long time
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative used adverbially), एकवचनम्; कालाधिकरणे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Bhīma (implied, as Arjuna responds to Bhīma’s statement in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as referenced exemplar)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid comparison: the speaker recalls Devavrata’s dramatic abduction at Kāśī and projects the same solitary heroism onto Haiḍambi’s quest for Maurvī; imagery of chariot, bow, and a swift departure.

Characters & Entities

• Devavrata (Bhīṣma)
• Kāśī
• Haiḍambi (Ghaṭotkaca)
• Maurvī
• Mura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is reinforced through remembered exemplars: decisive action aligned with one’s duty is praised when guided by righteous intent and lineage honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is mentioned as a famed royal and sacred region, though this verse uses it mainly as an epic precedent rather than a tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed here; the verse frames a dharmic-heroic resolve by analogy.