Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आहूता वस्त्रवदना वदंति द्विजसंनिधौ । जयजीवभगोनाथ स्वामिन्निति हि वादिनः

Transliteration

āhūtā vastravadanā vadaṃti dvijasaṃnidhau | jayajīvabhagonātha svāminniti hi vādinaḥ

Translation

إذا دُعوا تكلّموا في حضرة البراهمة بوجهٍ مستورٍ وتواضعٍ، قائلين: «النصر! يا ربّ الحياة والنعمة، يا سيّدي»؛ وهكذا يُعرَفون بخطابهم الموقّر.

Word by Word

• आहूताः: having been called, summoned
• आहूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आहू (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; passive past participle used adjectivally

• वस्त्र-वदनाः: with cloth-covered faces
• वस्त्र-वदनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वस्त्रं वदनं येषाम्/वस्त्रवदन), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वदन्ति: they say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• द्विज-संनिधौ: in the presence of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विज-संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानां संनिधिः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative

• जय: victory! hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक अव्यय/उद्गार (interjection of salutation)

• जीव: O Jīva (name)
• जीव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• भगः: O Bhaga (name)
• भगः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (पाठे ‘भगो’ = ‘भगः’ voc.)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वामिन्: O master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (पाठे ‘स्वामिन्निति’ sandhi: स्वामिन् + इति)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-marker (Quotation/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• वादिनः: the speakers, those who say
• वादिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; agent noun ‘speakers’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a Kāśī courtyard near a ghat, devotees with veiled faces stand before seated brāhmaṇas; hands folded, they utter victory-cries and epithets of the Lord with restrained, reverent posture.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness in Kāśī is expressed through humility, reverence to Brāhmaṇas, and devotional speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a sacred living-space where refined dharmic conduct is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse highlights sādhācāra—modest behavior and respectful address.