Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सत्यं मुने सती देवी तृणीचक्रे स्वजीवितम् । जोषं स्थिते मुनौ तत्र तन्महाकालसाध्वसात्

Transliteration

satyaṃ mune satī devī tṛṇīcakre svajīvitam | joṣaṃ sthite munau tatra tanmahākālasādhvasāt

Translation

Quả thật, hỡi bậc hiền triết: nữ thần Satī đã xem mạng sống mình như cọng rơm. Và khi vị hiền triết đứng lặng nơi ấy, ấy là vì kính sợ oai lực của Mahākāla.

Word by Word

• satyam: truly
• satyam: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वाक्योपक्रमे सत्यार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: truly/indeed)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• satī: Satī
• satī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; satī-विशेष्य (apposition)

• tṛṇīcakre: treated as straw
• tṛṇīcakre: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛṇī-kṛ (धातु; तृणीकृ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sva-jīvitam: her own life
• sva-jīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• joṣam: silently
• joṣam: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: joṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: silently/without protest)

• sthite: when (he) was present/standing
• sthite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; locative absolute with munau

• munau: in/when the sage (was there)
• munau: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• tat-mahākāla-sādhvasāt: from fear of that Mahākāla
• tat-mahākāla-sādhvasāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhvasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahākāla-sādhvasa = fear of Mahākāla) with तत्-सम्बन्ध; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Mahākāla as presiding power)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed sage within the story-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage stands silent, struck by awe of Mahākāla; the narrative voice confirms Satī’s act as truth, heightening the solemnity before the impending cosmic reaction.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Mahākāla
• Śiva
• Muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before the overwhelming reality of Mahākāla, even sages fall silent; divine majesty commands reverent restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla is highlighted—central to Kāśī’s Shaiva identity within the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse underscores bhaya-bhakti (awe-filled devotion) and respect for divine order.