Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्कर्मसूत्रैराकृष्टो भिल्लःकार्पटिकप्रियः । तूर्णं तदायुष्यमिव तत्रोपस्थितवान् क्षणात्

Transliteration

tatkarmasūtrairākṛṣṭo bhillaḥkārpaṭikapriyaḥ | tūrṇaṃ tadāyuṣyamiva tatropasthitavān kṣaṇāt

Translation

Bị kéo đến bởi những sợi chỉ của chính nghiệp mình, tên Bhilla—kẻ ưa rình cướp các vị khất sĩ—liền xuất hiện nơi ấy trong khoảnh khắc, như thể chính thọ mạng đã gọi hắn đến.

Word by Word

• तत्: his/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitive sense) used as पूर्वपद in समास: ‘his/that’

• कर्मसूत्रैः: by the cords/threads (of his action)
• कर्मसूत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), बहुवचन (plural), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental, 3rd case); ‘कर्मणः सूत्रैः’ (by the cords/threads of action)

• आकृष्टः: pulled/drawn
• आकृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कृश्/कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); ‘drawn/pulled’

• भिल्लः: the Bhilla (tribesman)
• भिल्लः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)

• कार्पटिकप्रियः: dear to the mendicant
• कार्पटिकप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्पटिक + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective) to भिल्लः; ‘कार्पटिकस्य प्रियः’ (dear to the mendicant)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-सम्भाव्य (nominative/accusative); here as पूर्वपद in समास: ‘that’

• आयुष्यम्: life-span / vital essence
• आयुष्यम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); उपमान-प्रयोगे (as a simile term)

• इव: as if / like
• इव: Sambandha/Comparator (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• उपस्थितवान्: appeared/arrived
• उपस्थितवान्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्यय (perfective active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); ‘having appeared/arrived’

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative, 5th case); ‘within/from a moment’ (temporal ablative)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, deduced, reporting events)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (peripheral forest path)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Bhilla bandit, drawn as if by invisible karmic threads, suddenly appears on the path—his predatory intent contrasted with the pilgrims’ vulnerability and the guardian’s readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Bhilla
• kārpaṭikāḥ (mendicants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma is portrayed as an unseen force that draws beings into consequences and encounters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.