Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कयाचिज्जलदेव्याथ तस्माच्चक्रूरयादसः । प्रसह्य नीत्वोदधये दृष्टवांस्तं समर्पितम्

Transliteration

kayācijjaladevyātha tasmāccakrūrayādasaḥ | prasahya nītvodadhaye dṛṣṭavāṃstaṃ samarpitam

Translation

他又看见那孩子被那残酷的水中凶兽强行掳去，并由某位水女神交付给大海。

Word by Word

• कया: by which (woman/one)
• कया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (Instrumental singular feminine)

• चित्: some/any
• चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात (indefinite particle)

• जलदेव्या: by the water-goddess
• जलदेव्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (Ablative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• क्रूरया: by a cruel (one)
• क्रूरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (Instrumental singular feminine)

• यादसः: of the aquatic creature
• यादसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• प्रसह्य: forcibly
• प्रसह्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) → प्रसह्य (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘बलात्’ अर्थे (having forced/forcibly)

• नीत्वा: having taken/led
• नीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• उदधये: to the ocean
• उदधये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Dative singular)

• दृष्टवान्: (he) having seen
• दृष्टवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्टवत् (कृत्-प्रातिपदिक, क्तवत्)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; परोक्षभूतार्थे ‘having seen’ (perfective participle used predicatively)

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (Accusative singular)

• समर्पितम्: offered/handed over
• समर्पितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्प् (धातु) → समर्पित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘offered/handed over’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied); Gaṅgā’s cosmic course to Sāgara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A child is dragged by a fierce aquatic creature; a water-goddess escorts the captive toward the vast ocean, whose waves loom like a cosmic court.

Characters & Entities

• Jaladevī (water-goddess)
• Udadhi/Samudra (ocean)
• Yādasa (aquatic creature)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives show unseen divine agencies operating within nature, making moral order and divine governance felt in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred-water setting continues within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; no named tirtha is cited in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.