Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततः काशिपतेः पुत्रः पितुर्दुःखेन दुःखितः । शंकरं तोषयामास स च तस्मै वरं ददौ

Transliteration

tataḥ kāśipateḥ putraḥ piturduḥkhena duḥkhitaḥ | śaṃkaraṃ toṣayāmāsa sa ca tasmai varaṃ dadau

Translation

ثم إن ابنَ سيدِ كاشي (Kāśī)، وقد اعتصره الحزنُ لحزنِ أبيه، أرضى شانكَرا (Śaṅkara) بالتعبّد؛ فوهبه شانكَرا نعمةً (بَرَكةً) يتمناها.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• काशिपतेः: of the lord of Kāśī
• काशिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśipati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दुःखेन: by/with sorrow
• दुःखेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• दुःखितः: grieved
• दुःखितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (कृदन्त; √duḥkh (दुःख्) denom./भावे)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'afflicted'

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तोषयामास: pleased, propitiated
• तोषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tuṣ (तुष्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) causative (णिच्) = तोषय-, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grieving prince (son of the lord of Kāśī) performs intense Śaiva propitiation; Śaṅkara appears, compassionate yet solemn, granting a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśipati (Kāśirāja)
• Kāśipateḥ putra (son of Kāśī’s king)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in crisis, turning to Śiva with focused devotion yields divine response—though the moral outcome depends on the seeker’s intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is invoked through its rulership; the narrative sits within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya’s broader sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only the general act of ‘propitiating Śaṅkara’ is implied; no specific vrata, dāna, or japa is stated in this verse.