Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93
Devanagari script
मह्यं श्रेयः कथं वा स्यादिति सा परिचिंत्य च । अगच्छद्वडवा भूत्वा तपसे पर्यनिंदिता
Transliteration
mahyaṃ śreyaḥ kathaṃ vā syāditi sā pariciṃtya ca | agacchadvaḍavā bhūtvā tapase paryaniṃditā
Translation
她思惟道：“我如何才能得真实之善？”遂出行，化作母马，清白无瑕，专心奉行苦行。
Word by Word
मह्यम्for me
मह्यम्:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
श्रेयःthe good, welfare
श्रेयः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (here: subject/object of ‘be’)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
वाindeed / or
वा:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक अव्यय (particle: or/indeed)
स्यात्may be, could be
स्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)
साshe
सा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
परिचिन्त्यhaving considered
परिचिन्त्य:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootपरि + √चिन्त् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; (having thought/considered)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
अगच्छत्went
अगच्छत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
वडवाa mare (female horse)
वडवा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवडवा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
भूत्वाhaving become
भूत्वा:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; (having become)
तपसेfor austerity
तपसे:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन
पर्यनिन्दिताafflicted/censured (by others)
पर्यनिन्दिता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootपरि + √निन्द् (धातु)
Formक्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (she who is censured/tormented)
Speaker
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A woman, troubled yet resolute, contemplates śreyas and departs into wilderness; she assumes the form of a mare and begins austere wandering, her mind fixed on higher good.
Characters & Entities
S
Sañjñā (implied)T
Tapas (austerity)FAQs
One should seek śreyas (lasting spiritual good) through sincere self-discipline and blameless conduct.
No specific tirtha is named; it appears within Kāśī’s larger Mahātmya narrative context.
Tapas (austerity) is praised, but no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna rule is stated.