Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ओंकृत्य तासां वाक्यं सा स्वाकारं परिगोप्य च । प्रियाणि कृत्वा भूभर्तुः प्रस्तावज्ञा व्यजिज्ञपत्

Transliteration

oṃkṛtya tāsāṃ vākyaṃ sā svākāraṃ parigopya ca | priyāṇi kṛtvā bhūbhartuḥ prastāvajñā vyajijñapat

Translation

她以吉祥的“唵（Oṃ）”应允众人之言，并掩藏自身心意；又善于把握时机，先行令国王欢喜之事，继而向大地主宰陈述所求。

Word by Word

• ओम्: ‘oṃ’
• ओम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओम् (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रणव-शब्दः (indeclinable sacred syllable)

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having done’

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वाकारम्: her own form/appearance
• स्वाकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य आकारः)

• परिगोप्य: having concealed/guarded
• परिगोप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + गुप्/गोप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having concealed/protected’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रियाणि: pleasant things/favours
• प्रियाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; (substantive use: ‘pleasant things’)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having done’

• भूभर्तुः: of the king (earth-lord)
• भूभर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः भर्ता)

• प्रस्तावज्ञा: knowing the proper occasion
• प्रस्तावज्ञा: Karta (Subject-appositive/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रस्ताव + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘knowing the occasion/context’)

• व्यजिज्ञपत्: she informed/announced
• व्यजिज्ञपत्: Kriya (Main verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual narration within Skanda Purāṇa’s Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical Purāṇic audience frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A queen in a royal hall inclines her head, uttering an auspicious Oṃ, masking her deeper intention; attendants and ministers watch as she first pleases the king before presenting her request.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī
• King (bhūbhartṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes right speech and right timing—requests should be made with humility, auspiciousness, and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative frame, implicitly rooted in Kāśī’s sacred milieu, though no specific tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the only auspicious marker is the assent with “Oṃ,” indicating sanctified speech.