Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दुकूलांचल संपर्कैर्मृदुलैर्मृदुपाणिना । पप्रच्छ तनयं माता वद रोदनकारणम् । विद्यमाने नरपतौ शिशो केनापमानितः

Transliteration

dukūlāṃcala saṃparkairmṛdulairmṛdupāṇinā | papraccha tanayaṃ mātā vada rodanakāraṇam | vidyamāne narapatau śiśo kenāpamānitaḥ

Translation

母亲以柔软之手，轻触他细衣的衣缘，问其子曰：“告我汝哭之因。国王在此，谁敢辱此孩童？”

Word by Word

• दुकूलाञ्चल: (of) the hem of fine cloth
• दुकूलाञ्चल: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुकूल (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद; ‘hem of a fine cloth’ (in compound with संपर्कैः)

• संपर्कैः: by touches
• संपर्कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘by contacts/touches’

• मृदुलैः: soft
• मृदुलैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; qualifies संपर्कैः

• मृदुपाणिना: with a gentle hand
• मृदुपाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (मृदुः पाणिः यस्याः/यस्य) ‘with a gentle hand’

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘asked’

• तनयम्: (her) son
• तनयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माता: the mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘tell/say’

• रोदनकारणम्: the reason for crying
• रोदनकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोदन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रोदनस्य कारणम्) ‘cause of crying’

• विद्यमाने: while (he) is present
• विद्यमाने: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्यमान (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् सत्तायाम्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative absolute with नरपतौ

• नरपतौ: when the king is (there)
• नरपतौ: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; with विद्यमाने (locative absolute)

• शिशोः: of the child
• शिशोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of the child’

• केन: by whom
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; interrogative ‘by whom/with what’

• अपमानितः: insulted
• अपमानितः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + मान् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate of शिशुः (understood)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunīti, with a soft hand and the edge of her fine cloth, gently touches and steadies her son, asking the reason for his tears and who dared insult him despite the king’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti
• King (nṛpa/narapati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with truthful inquiry—understanding the cause before reacting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is singled out; this is a narrative passage within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.