Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

न चास्ति तव सामर्थ्यं क्वापि कस्यापि निश्चितम् । यादृशः क्रतुसंभारस्तव चेह समीक्ष्यते

Transliteration

na cāsti tava sāmarthyaṃ kvāpi kasyāpi niścitam | yādṛśaḥ kratusaṃbhārastava ceha samīkṣyate

Translation

你的才能并无在任何处、任何事上被确证为稳妥；然而在此却见你展现出为克罗图（吠陀大祭）所作的宏伟筹备。

Word by Word

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

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sāmarthyam: capability, power
• sāmarthyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• kvāpi: anywhere
• kvāpi: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva + api (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• kasyāpi: of anyone
• kasyāpi: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas (किम्-प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc./Neut.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• niścitam: certain, definite
• niścitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niś + ci (चि धातु) → niścita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• yādṛśaḥ: such as, of the kind
• yādṛśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masc.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-विशेषण (relative adjective)

• kratu-saṃbhāraḥ: preparations for the sacrifice
• kratu-saṃbhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘क्रतोः संभारः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• samīkṣyate: is seen/observed
• samīkṣyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned speaker admonishes a would-be sacrificer in Kāśī: lavish yajña materials—samit, ghee, vessels, banners—are displayed, yet the atmosphere is tense with ethical scrutiny.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External grandeur in ritual is questioned when inner fitness and true capability are not firmly established.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, situating the discourse within the sacred authority of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), even when a specific tirtha-name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription—this verse introduces scrutiny of one’s preparedness for performing a kratu (Vedic sacrifice).