Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

स कदाचिन्मृगयुभिः पापर्धि व्यसनातुरः । सार्धं विवेशारण्यानि गृष्टिपृष्ठानुगो हयी

Transliteration

sa kadācinmṛgayubhiḥ pāpardhi vyasanāturaḥ | sārdhaṃ viveśāraṇyāni gṛṣṭipṛṣṭhānugo hayī

Translation

ایک بار گناہ آلود شکار کی لت سے بے قرار ہو کر، وہ شکاریوں کے ساتھ جنگلوں میں داخل ہوا، ایسے گھوڑے پر سوار جو ریوڑ کے پیچھے پیچھے لگا رہتا تھا۔

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘he’

• kadācit: once; at some time
• kadācit: Avyaya (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadā (अव्यय) + cit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) ‘once/sometime’

• mṛgayubhiḥ: with hunters
• mṛgayubhiḥ: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgayu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण/सह), बहुवचन; instrumental ‘with hunters’

• pāpardhi: sinful gain/prosperity
• pāpardhi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Predicate noun
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛddhi/ardhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘पापस्य अर्धिः/ऋद्धिः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘sinful prosperity/ill-gotten gain’ (rare form)

• vyasana-āturaḥ: afflicted by vice/misfortune
• vyasana-āturaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Predicative adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक) + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘व्यसनेन आतुरः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘afflicted by addiction/misfortune’

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Avyaya (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (adverb ‘together/with’)

• viveśa: entered
• viveśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘entered’

• araṇyāni: forests
• araṇyāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘forests’

• gṛṣṭi-pṛṣṭha-anugaḥ: following behind (the herd/leader)
• gṛṣṭi-pṛṣṭha-anugaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Predicative adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + anuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘गृष्टेः पृष्ठम् अनुगच्छति’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘following behind the herd/leader’ (gṛṣṭi = herd/leading cow; rare)

• hayī: the horseman; rider
• hayī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hayin/hayī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘horseman/rider’ or ‘one with a horse’ (rare nominal)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Characters & Entities

• Durdama
• hunters

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Addictions rooted in harm (like cruel hunting) are framed as sin-increasing habits that propel one toward downfall—until grace intervenes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the approach to Kāśī’s sacred woodland setting that will reveal its transforming power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse describes conduct (vyasana) rather than prescribing a rite.