Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सुखलक्ष्म्यैवचाज्ञासीद्ध्रुवं समवमानितम् । अभिसृत्य च तं बालं मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय सा सकृत्

Transliteration

sukhalakṣmyaivacājñāsīddhruvaṃ samavamānitam | abhisṛtya ca taṃ bālaṃ mūrdhnyupāghrāya sā sakṛt

Translation

اُس کے چہرے کی راحت و رونق کے ماند پڑتے ہی اُس نے جان لیا کہ دھرو کو بے عزت کیا گیا ہے۔ وہ لپک کر بالک کے پاس گئی اور ایک بار اُس کے سر کی چوٹی کو بوسہ دے کر (سونگھ کر) دعا دی۔

Word by Word

• सुखलक्ष्म्या: by (her) happy fortune/comfort
• सुखलक्ष्म्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुखरूपा लक्ष्मीः) ‘prosperity as happiness/fortunate comfort’; instrumental ‘by/through’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय; emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; conjunction ‘and’

• अज्ञासीत्: understood
• अज्ञासीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘knew/understood’

• ध्रुवम्: surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; adverb ‘certainly/surely’

• समवमानितम्: insulted
• समवमानितम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + मान् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(him) insulted/disrespected’

• अभिसृत्य: having approached
• अभिसृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + सृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having approached’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; ‘and’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘him’

• बालम्: the boy
• बालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; apposition to तम्

• मूर्ध्नि: on (his) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative ‘on the head’

• उपाघ्राय: having kissed/smelled
• उपाघ्राय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having smelled/kissed (by smelling)’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘she’ (Sunīti)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/परिमाणार्थक-अव्यय; ‘once’

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunīti notices Dhruva’s diminished happiness and radiance; she rushes to him and kisses/smells the crown of his head in a single, consoling gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True care recognizes suffering without being told and responds with compassion before judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but no particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it depicts maternal affection and recognition of dishonor.