Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

कपालकेतुपुत्रेण दानवेन बलीयसा । आगामिन्यां तृतीयायां तस्याः पाणिग्रहृं किल

Transliteration

kapālaketuputreṇa dānavena balīyasā | āgāminyāṃ tṛtīyāyāṃ tasyāḥ pāṇigrahṛṃ kila

Translation

کہا جاتا ہے کہ کَپالکیتو کے بیٹے، ایک نہایت طاقتور دانَو نے آنے والی تِرتیا کے دن اس کا پाणिग्रहण (نکاح) مقرر کیا تھا۔

Word by Word

• kapālaketu-putreṇa: by the son of Kapālaketu
• kapālaketu-putreṇa: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapālaketu (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘कपालकेतोः पुत्रः’ (masc. instr. sg.)

• dānavena: by a demon
• dānavena: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (masc. instr. sg.)

• balīyasā: stronger / very powerful
• balīyasā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balīyas (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (masc. instr. sg.)

• āgāminyām: in the coming
• āgāminyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

• tṛtīyāyām: on the third (day/tithi)
• tṛtīyāyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथि/दिन-निर्देश (fem. loc. sg.)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• pāṇi-grahaṇam: hand-taking (marriage)
• pāṇi-grahaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘पाणेः ग्रहणम्’ (neut. acc. sg.)

• kila: indeed / it is said
• kila: Sambandha (Discourse particle/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कथन-प्रमाण/श्रुत्यर्थ (indecl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king in the surrounding frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful Dānava (son of Kapālaketu) prepares for a forced ‘pāṇigrahaṇa’ on the upcoming tṛtīyā; ominous wedding preparations in a dark palace contrast with the girl’s distress.

Characters & Entities

• Kapālaketu
• Dānava
• Malayagandhinī (implied)
• Tṛtīyā-tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma tries to legitimize wrongdoing through outward ‘rites’; true dharma protects consent, purity, and rightful order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṇigraha (hand-taking) is referenced as the marriage act, and tṛtīyā-tithi is specified as the appointed day.