Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । सर्वज्ञस्य कुमारत्वात्किंचित्किंचिदवैम्यहम् । रोदने कारणं वच्मि शृणु कुंभसमुद्भव

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | sarvajñasya kumāratvātkiṃcitkiṃcidavaimyaham | rodane kāraṇaṃ vacmi śṛṇu kuṃbhasamudbhava

Translation

স্কন্দে ক’লে: ‘সৰ্বজ্ঞ প্ৰভুৱে বাল্যৰূপ ধাৰণ কৰাত মই অলপ অলপকৈহে বুজোঁ। তথাপি সেই কান্দোনৰ কাৰণ ক’ম—শুনা, হে কুম্ভসম্ভৱ।’

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सर्वज्ञस्य: of the omniscient one
• सर्वज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुमारत्वात्: because of (his) boyhood
• कुमारत्वात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कुमार + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (used adverbially)

• किञ्चित्: somewhat
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• अवैमि: I know/understand
• अवैमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोदने: in/with regard to weeping
• रोदने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वच्मि: I tell
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कुम्भसमुद्भव: O one born from a pot (Agastya)
• कुम्भसमुद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; कुम्भ + समुद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhasambhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, youthful yet radiant, addresses Agastya (the pot-born sage), confessing the mystery of divine childhood and promising to explain the cause of weeping; a quiet hermitage or Kāśī setting implied.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Kumbhasamudbhava)
• Śiva (Sarvajña)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted teachers present knowledge with humility; Purāṇic wisdom is shared as a guided unfolding rather than mere display of omniscience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework implies Kāśī’s sanctity, but this verse is primarily pedagogical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.