Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

अप्राप्तयौवनः सोथ समिदाहरणाय वै । गतो विधिवशाद्दष्टो दंदशूकेन कानने

Transliteration

aprāptayauvanaḥ sotha samidāharaṇāya vai | gato vidhivaśāddaṣṭo daṃdaśūkena kānane

Translation

پھر، ابھی جوانی کو نہ پہنچا تھا کہ ایندھن (سمِدھا) لانے گیا؛ مگر تقدیر کے زور سے جنگل میں سانپ نے اسے ڈس لیا۔

Word by Word

• अप्राप्तयौवनः: not yet having attained youth
• अप्राप्तयौवनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √आप्) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपदक तत्पुरुषः—‘यौवनम् अप्राप्तः’ (one who has not attained youth)

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (then/now)

• समित्: firewood
• समित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध्/समित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘firewood’

• आहरणाय: for bringing
• आहरणाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-अर्थे/अर्थे ‘for the purpose of’), दत्त-प्रत्यय ‘-अण’ भावे; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक दत्तिविभक्ति (dative of purpose)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone’

• विधिवशात्: due to fate/inevitability
• विधिवशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ‘विधेः वशः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; अपादानार्थे (ablative: due to/under compulsion of fate)

• दष्टः: was bitten
• दष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘bitten’

• दंदशूकेन: by a snake
• दंदशूकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्दशूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: narrative voice in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pre-youth boy gathering firewood in a forest; a snake strikes unexpectedly; companions or the quiet forest witnesses the sudden reversal of fortune.

Characters & Entities

• Snake (daṃdaśūka)
• Forest (kānana)
• Vidhi (fate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fragile and governed by karma and destiny; thus one should take refuge in dharma and devotion without delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself is a plot-turn within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative; the larger frame continues to glorify Kāśī as the saving sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samid-āharaṇa—collecting kindling for sacred duties—is referenced as part of the character’s routine.