Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40
Devanagari script
अल्पोपि दूतसंबाधां न विदध्यात्कदाचन । किं पुनर्ये भवादृक्षा महांतो बलिनोऽधिपाः
Transliteration
alpopi dūtasaṃbādhāṃ na vidadhyātkadācana | kiṃ punarye bhavādṛkṣā mahāṃto balino'dhipāḥ
Translation
“纵使卑微之人，也不应在任何时候加害或侵扰使者；何况如你这般伟大、强盛的君主与有力的统治者，更当戒止！”
Word by Word
अल्पःeven a small (person)
अल्पः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसम्भावना/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)
दूतसंबाधाम्obstruction/harassment of a messenger
दूतसंबाधाम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदूत+संबाधा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: दूतानां संबाधा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)
विदध्यात्should do / should cause
विदध्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-धा (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्
कदाचनever
कदाचन:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचन (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)
किम्what (then)
किम्:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle, used idiomatically)
पुनःthen / moreover
पुनः:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formपुनरर्थक-अव्यय (again/then/more so)
येwho
ये:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
भवादृशाः(those) like you
भवादृशाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभवत्+दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: भवदृशः (भवतः इव दृशः) बहुव्रीहिः; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
महान्तःgreat
महान्तः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
बलिनःpowerful
बलिनः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootबलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
अधिपाःlords, rulers
अधिपाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
Speaker
Kālarātrī
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Kālarātrī delivers a firm ethical maxim: even the lowly must not trouble envoys; mighty kings must be even more restrained—her gesture is instructive, the court listens.
Characters & Entities
D
Dūta (envoy/messenger)FAQs
Rājadharma includes protecting diplomatic norms; violating dūta-dharma is adharma, especially for the powerful.
None in this verse.
None.