Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । पितामह महाप्राज्ञ जनाकीर्णे महीतले । कथं नान्ये च राजानो मां कथं कथ्यते त्वया

Transliteration

rājovāca | pitāmaha mahāprājña janākīrṇe mahītale | kathaṃ nānye ca rājāno māṃ kathaṃ kathyate tvayā

Translation

রাজা বলল— হে পিতামহ, হে মহাপ্রাজ্ঞ! জনাকীর্ণ এই পৃথিবীতে, অন্যান্য রাজারা থাকতে, আপনি কেন আমাকে বিশেষ করে উল্লেখ করছেন?

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• महाप्राज्ञ: O greatly wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — ‘महान् प्राज्ञः’

• जन-आकीर्णे: in (a place) crowded with people
• जन-आकीर्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे (अधिकरण-विशेषण), सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः — ‘जनैः/जनस्य आकीर्णे’ (crowded with people)

• महीतले: on the earth’s surface
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘महीयाः तलम्’ (surface of the earth)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण

• कथ्यते: is spoken/said
• कथ्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

King Ripuṃjaya (Divodāsa-to-be)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, still in añjali, looks up with earnest curiosity toward Brahmā; attendants and a suggestion of a populous earth (janākīrṇa) can be symbolized by distant crowds or cityscape.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Ripuṃjaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility in the face of honor is praised; the worthy leader questions privilege and seeks the reason in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the broader frame; no tirtha is named in this question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry within a divine dialogue.