Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । पाराशर्यमुने व्यास कुमारः कुंभजन्मने । यदावदत्कथामेतां तदा क्व द्रुपदात्मजा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | pārāśaryamune vyāsa kumāraḥ kuṃbhajanmane | yadāvadatkathāmetāṃ tadā kva drupadātmajā

Translation

সূত বললেন: পরাশরির পুত্র ব্যাস যখন কুম্ভজন্মা (অগস্ত্য) মুনির পুত্র কুমার (স্কন্দ)-কে এই কাহিনি বললেন, তখন দ্রুপদের কন্যা দ্রৌপদী কোথায় ছিলেন?

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पाराशर्य: O son of Parāśara (Vyāsa)
• पाराशर्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराशर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यास: O Vyāsa
• व्यास: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुमारः: the youth; Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुंभजन्मने: to the pot-born one (Agastya)
• कुंभजन्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंभजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—कुंभे जन्म यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहिः)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Desha-Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• अवदत्: spoke; said
• अवदत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘कथाम्’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Desha-Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

• द्रुपदात्मजा: Draupadī (daughter of Drupada)
• द्रुपदात्मजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्रुपदस्य आत्मजा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied sage-assembly (Śaunaka and others, per purāṇic convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta in a forest-assembly setting poses a precise question about narrative time: while Vyāsa spoke to Skanda, where was Draupadī? The scene emphasizes layered storytellers and attentive sages.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vyāsa
• Parāśara
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Agastya
• Draupadī
• Drupada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is transmitted through layered dialogue; reverent inquiry preserves accuracy and continuity of sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the narrative frame within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the immediate context leads into Draupadāditya associated with Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a narrative question establishing context.