Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

मद्विधाना तु दासीनां शतं तेऽस्तीह मंदिरे । तथापि नितरां प्रेम स्वामिनो मयि दृश्यते

Transliteration

madvidhānā tu dāsīnāṃ śataṃ te'stīha maṃdire | tathāpi nitarāṃ prema svāmino mayi dṛśyate

Translation

在你的宫中，有一百名像我这样的侍女；然而，主人对我所显现的爱意却尤为深切。

Word by Word

• मद्विधाना: one like me
• मद्विधाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्-सम्बन्धः) — Feminine, Nominative singular; genitive-tatpurusha sense “like me/one of my kind”

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/समुच्चय-व्यतिरेकसूचक — particle “but/indeed”

• दासीनाम्: of maidservants
• दासीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Feminine, Genitive plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Genitive singular (enclitic)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of place “here”

• मन्दिरे: in the house/temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Discourse adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/व्यतिरेक-अव्यय — “even so/nevertheless”

• नितराम्: exceedingly
• नितराम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नितराम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb “exceedingly/very much”

• प्रेम: love/affection
• प्रेम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• स्वामिनः: of the master
• स्वामिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive singular

• मयि: in me/towards me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — Present, 3rd singular, middle; “is seen/appears”

Speaker

Kalāvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / spouse within episode (immediate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a palace-like household space, a devoted woman speaks with tender candor: though many attendants exist, the master’s gaze rests with special affection on her—an allegory of singular grace.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī
• Mālpaketu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Affection grounded in fidelity and inner worth is rarer than mere abundance of external options.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the narrative context later turns to Viśvanātha-purī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is part of a personal, ethical dialogue.