Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दुस्तरं पारमाप्स्यामि स्त्रीत्वं सर्वाभिभावि यत् । न कस्मैचिद्वरायाहं पितृभ्यां प्रतिपादिता

Transliteration

dustaraṃ pāramāpsyāmi strītvaṃ sarvābhibhāvi yat | na kasmaicidvarāyāhaṃ pitṛbhyāṃ pratipāditā

Translation

“此道难渡，我将如何抵达彼岸？况且女身为众所制。我父母并未将我许配给任何新郎。”

Word by Word

• dustaram: hard to cross
• dustaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus (दुष्-उपसर्गवत्) + tara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• pāram: the far shore
• pāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• āpsyāmi: I shall reach/obtain
• āpsyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Future, 1st sg.)

• strītvaṃ: womanhood
• strītvaṃ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strītva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• sarva-abhibhāvi: overpowering all
• sarva-abhibhāvi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + abhibhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); तत्पुरुषः (sarvān abhibhavati iti = overpowering all)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• kasmaicit: to any (person)
• kasmaicit: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kasmincit (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Dat., Singular); अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite: -cit)

• varāya: to a groom/suitor
• varāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Dat., Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nom., Singular)

• pitṛbhyām: by (my) two parents
• pitṛbhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Instr./Abl., Dual)

• pratipāditā: was given/assigned (in marriage)
• pratipāditā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + √pad (पद् धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta as ‘tāraṇa’)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman speaks to herself, hands raised in despair, with symbolic imagery of a turbulent ocean behind her; a marriage garland or bridal ornament lies unused, indicating she was not given in marriage.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows the anxiety that arises when social-dharmic supports collapse, pushing the mind toward seeking a higher refuge beyond mere social security.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacral frame, but the verse itself is narrative and does not praise a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it concerns the dharmic institution of being ‘given’ in marriage.