Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । अंशांशांशेन निश्चक्रे कुतो भोश्चक्रपाणिना । क्व निर्गतं च हरिणा प्राप्य काशीं षडानन

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | aṃśāṃśāṃśena niścakre kuto bhoścakrapāṇinā | kva nirgataṃ ca hariṇā prāpya kāśīṃ ṣaḍānana

Translation

অগস্ত্য বললেন—হে ষড়ানন, চক্রপাণি (বিষ্ণু) সেই অতি সূক্ষ্ম অংশের অংশের অংশমাত্র নিয়ে কোথা থেকে প্রকাশিত হলেন? আর কাশী প্রাপ্ত হয়ে হরি কোথায় প্রকাশ পেলেন?

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अंशांशांशेन: by a minute fraction
• अंशांशांशेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश + अंश + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—पुनरुक्त-तत्पुरुष (अंशस्य अंशस्य अंशेन), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• निश्चक्रे: came forth
• निश्चक्रे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-चक्र (धातु: चक्र्/चक्रे—‘to go out/come forth’ as per usage)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; अर्थे—‘came out/emerged’

• कुतः: from where
• कुतः: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (vocative particle संबोधन-निपात)

• चक्रपाणिना: by the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रपाणिना: Karana/Agent (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (चक्रः पाणौ यस्य/चक्रपाणिः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• निर्गतम्: (what) emerged
• निर्गतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त—PPP (क्त) ‘gone out’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थे ‘(किम्) निर्गतम्?’

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

• हरिणा: by Hari
• हरिणा: Karana/Agent (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त—ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund) ‘having reached’

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• षडानन: O Six-faced one (Skanda)
• षडानन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—द्विगु (षड् आननानि यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; स्कन्द-सम्बोधन

Speaker

Agastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, attentive and inquisitive, asks Skanda (Ṣaḍānana) to specify the source and exact place in Kāśī where Hari’s infinitesimal emanation emerged.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)
• Cakrapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry is part of dharma: the sage seeks precise knowledge of divine manifestations and their sacred loci.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is referenced broadly; the verse asks for the exact spot of Hari’s emergence within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question initiating further exposition.