Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

धृतायामपि चैकस्यां कस्ते कामो भविष्यति । अहं ते सन्निधिं नैव त्यक्ष्याम्यद्य दिनावधि

Transliteration

dhṛtāyāmapi caikasyāṃ kaste kāmo bhaviṣyati | ahaṃ te sannidhiṃ naiva tyakṣyāmyadya dināvadhi

Translation

Dẫu ngài chỉ nắm giữ một người, còn dục vọng nào của ngài sẽ chưa thỏa? Ta sẽ chẳng rời khỏi sự hiện diện của ngài—hôm nay cho đến khi ngày tàn.

Word by Word

• dhṛtāyām: when (she is) held/kept
• dhṛtāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛtā (कृदन्त; √dhṛ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘धृता’ = held/kept; सति-सप्तमीभावः

• api: even/also
• api: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ekasyām: in (the case of) one (woman)
• ekasyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘धृतायाम्’ इत्यस्य सह सति-सप्तमी

• kas: what/which
• kas: Karta (Interrogative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kāmaḥ: desire
• kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; प्रसङ्गतः चतुर्थी—‘to you/for you’

• sannidhim: presence/nearby attendance
• sannidhim: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• eva: at all/indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात; ‘नैव’ = not at all

• tyakṣyāmi: I will abandon/leave
• tyakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• adya: today
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• dina-avadhi: until day’s end
• dina-avadhi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययत्वेन—‘दिनावधि’ = until the end of the day

Speaker

A female messenger (dūtī) addressing the demon-king (daityapati)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure declares he will not leave the antagonist’s side until day’s end, pressing the logic of possession; the scene feels like a closing trap before a sudden turn.

Characters & Entities

• Daityapati (demon-king)
• Dūtī (female messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is portrayed as insatiable and self-justifying; dharma literature uses such scenes to warn against being ruled by kāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, but no particular tīrtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.