Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

एवं स कौशिकीतीरे बलिं राजानमीक्षतीम् । स्त्रीवृत्तिं चिरकालत्वाद्धन्तुं दिष्टः स्वमातरम्

Transliteration

evaṃ sa kauśikītīre baliṃ rājānamīkṣatīm | strīvṛttiṃ cirakālatvāddhantuṃ diṣṭaḥ svamātaram

Translation

ดังนั้น ณ ฝั่งแม่น้ำเกาศิกี เขาได้เห็นพระราชาบาลี. และเพราะสงสัยมาช้านานว่าความประพฤติของมารดาไม่สมควร เขาจึงถูกผลักดันด้วยปณิธานอันมืดหม่นให้คิดสังหารมารดาของตนเอง.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कौशिकीतीरे: on the bank of (the river) Kauśikī
• कौशिकीतीरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिकी-तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कौशिक्याः तीरम्)

• बलिम्: Bali
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• राजानम्: king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ईक्षतीम्: seeing/looking at
• ईक्षतीम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; धातु: ईक्ष् (to see)

• स्त्रीवृत्तिम्: a woman's conduct/way of life
• स्त्रीवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री-वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः वृत्तिः)

• चिरकालत्वात्: because of long duration/after a long time
• चिरकालत्वात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिर-काल-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ; (चिर + काल) कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष + त्व-प्रत्यय (abstract)

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• दिष्टः: fated/ordained
• दिष्टः: Kriya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अर्थ: 'appointed/fated'

• स्वमातरम्: his own mother
• स्वमातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-मातृ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वा माता)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśikī-tīra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank at dusk: flowing Kauśikī, reeds and sand, King Bali visible in regal posture; a tormented figure watches, gripping a weapon, eyes torn between rage and doubt, the mother’s silhouette implied as the threatened target.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśikī (river)
• Bali (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked suspicion and anger can push a person toward grave adharma; discernment must precede action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kauśikī riverbank is the narrative setting, treated as a sacred locale within the Purāṇic landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.