Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इत्थं दधीचिवचनं श्रुत्वा दक्षः प्रजापतिः । भृशं जज्वाल कोपेन हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मवत्

Transliteration

itthaṃ dadhīcivacanaṃ śrutvā dakṣaḥ prajāpatiḥ | bhṛśaṃ jajvāla kopena haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmavat

Translation

达克沙·生主如此听闻达提奇之言，便因忿怒而猛烈炽燃，犹如供献之火（havis）腾起，拖出一缕黝黑的烟痕。

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• दधीचि: of Dadhīci
• दधीचि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• वचनम्: speech; words
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of श्रुत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘दधीचेः वचनम्’

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having heard’

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रजापतिः: lord of creatures (Prajāpati)
• प्रजापतिः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण/renaming of दक्षः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘प्रजानां पतिः’

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक अव्यय (excessively, greatly)

• जज्वाल: blazed; flared up
• जज्वाल: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कोपेन: with anger; by anger
• कोपेन: Karana (करण/Instrument-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• हविषा: with oblation; with ghee-offering
• हविषा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृष्णवर्त्मवत्: like (fire) with a black track of smoke
• कृष्णवर्त्मवत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘कृष्णं वर्त्म यस्य’ + वत्; अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगे उपमावाचक (like one having a black path/track)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa, seated as yajamāna, flares with anger after hearing Dadhīci; the sacrificial fire surges, sending a dark smoke trail upward; onlookers recoil, sensing impending calamity.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci
• Dakṣa
• Prajāpati
• Yajña fire (imagery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego and anger can corrupt sacred undertakings; even a yajña atmosphere can turn dark when pride resists dharmic correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative within Kāśī Khaṇḍa and does not directly praise a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse uses sacrificial-fire imagery to describe an emotional reaction affecting the ritual setting.