Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सुखोपविष्टः संहृष्टः सुदृष्टिर्विष्टरश्रवाः । दृष्टवांस्तपसा जुष्टमपुष्टांगं तपोधनम्

Transliteration

sukhopaviṣṭaḥ saṃhṛṣṭaḥ sudṛṣṭirviṣṭaraśravāḥ | dṛṣṭavāṃstapasā juṣṭamapuṣṭāṃgaṃ tapodhanam

Translation

সুখে উপবিষ্ট, হর্ষিত ও শুভদৃষ্টিসম্পন্ন বিষ্টরশ্রবা সেই তপোধনকে দেখলেন—যাঁর দেহ কৃশ, তবু তপস্যায় পবিত্র ও বলবান।

Word by Word

• सुख-उपविष्टः: comfortably seated
• सुख-उपविष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + उप + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — seated; अव्ययीभावः (सुखेन उपविष्टः)

• संहृष्टः: joyful
• संहृष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + हृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — delighted

• सु-दृष्टिः: one of good vision
• सु-दृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; कर्मधारयः (सु + दृष्टिः)

• विष्टर-श्रवाः: Viṣṭaraśravā (proper name/epithet)
• विष्टर-श्रवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्टर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; कर्मधारयः (विष्टरं श्रवः यस्य)

• दृष्टवान्: having seen
• दृष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — having seen

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• जुष्टम्: favored
• जुष्टम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accepted/favored; विशेषणम् (तपोधनम्)

• अपुष्ट-अङ्गम्: with an emaciated body
• अपुष्ट-अङ्गम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; कर्मधारयः (अपुष्टम् अङ्गं यस्य) विशेषणम् (तपोधनम्)

• तपो-धनम्: the ascetic whose wealth is austerity
• तपो-धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः (तपः एव धनं यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Likely Agastya or a principal ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṭaraśravā, serene and delighted, sits at ease and beholds a lean-bodied yet radiant ascetic—an embodiment of tapas—within a quiet sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṭaraśravā (seer)
• Tapodhana (ascetic/sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual wealth is tapas—outer leanness can signify inner power and purity when sustained by disciplined austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse focuses on the meeting of sages; the broader passage remains within the Pañcanada/Kāśī sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights the ideal of tapas as a dharmic practice.