Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सुवर्णग्राहिणौ येन कर्णौ स्यातां च सुश्रुती । मौंजीबंधोप्यभूदस्य व्यतीतेब्देऽष्टमे हरे । ब्रह्मचर्याभिवृद्ध्यै यो ब्रह्मग्रहणहेतुकः

Transliteration

suvarṇagrāhiṇau yena karṇau syātāṃ ca suśrutī | mauṃjībaṃdhopyabhūdasya vyatītebde'ṣṭame hare | brahmacaryābhivṛddhyai yo brahmagrahaṇahetukaḥ

Translation

যি সংস্কাৰে কৰ্ণ দুটা সোণৰ অলংকাৰ গ্ৰহণযোগ্য হয় আৰু সুশ্ৰুতি—সু-শ্ৰৱণ তথা সদুপদেশলাভ—হয়। হে হৰি! তাৰ মৌঞ্জীবন্ধ (মুঞ্জা-মেখলা বন্ধন) অষ্টম বছৰ পাৰ হোৱাৰ পাছতহে হ’ল—ব্ৰহ্মচৰ্য বৃদ্ধি আৰু ব্ৰহ্মগ্ৰহণ, অৰ্থাৎ বৈদিক শিক্ষালাভৰ কাৰণস্বৰূপ।

Word by Word

• सुवर्णग्राहिणौ: taking/holding gold (gold-wearing)
• सुवर्णग्राहिणौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण + ग्राहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘सुवर्णं गृह्णाति’) विशेषणम् (कर्णौ)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कर्णौ: two ears
• कर्णौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• स्याताम्: would be / should become (two)
• स्याताम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• सुश्रुती: good hearing / good audition
• सुश्रुती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुश्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे/नामरूपे—‘सुश्रुतिः’ (good hearing)

• मौञ्जीबन्धः: the tying of the muñjā-girdle
• मौञ्जीबन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौञ्जी + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘मौञ्ज्याः बन्धः’)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक (also/even)

• अभूत्: happened/was (done)
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him/this (child)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• व्यतीते: having elapsed
• व्यतीते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यतीत (कृदन्त; √इ धातु + वि + अति)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘व्यतीते (अब्दे)’ = ‘when (the year) had passed’

• अब्दे: in the year
• अब्दे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अष्टमे: in the eighth
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अष्टमे (अब्दे)’

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचर्याभिवृद्ध्यै: for the increase of celibate discipline
• ब्रह्मचर्याभिवृद्ध्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य + अभिवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ दत्तिव (dative of purpose) — ‘ब्रह्मचर्यस्य अभिवृद्ध्यै’

• यः: which/that (rite)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मग्रहणहेतुकः: causing the undertaking of Brahman (Vedic study)
• ब्रह्मग्रहणहेतुकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म + ग्रहण + हेतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘ब्रह्मग्रहणस्य हेतुः’ (cause of taking up Vedic study)

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hari (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn upanayana-adjacent moment: the boy receives the muñja girdle after the eighth year; a teacher figure stands ready with staff and sacred thread; the verse addresses ‘Hari’, elevating the rite into devotional discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Hari
• Muñjībandha
• Brahmacarya
• Brahma (Vedic learning)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Initiation into brahmacarya is portrayed as the gateway to disciplined life and sacred learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-centered dharma narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Muñjībandha (sacred girdle tying), associated with upanayana and brahmacarya, is mentioned with an age marker (after the eighth year).