Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अष्टादशपुराणानां कर्त्ता सत्यवतीसुतः । सूताग्रे कथयामास कथां पापापनोदिनीम्

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśapurāṇānāṃ karttā satyavatīsutaḥ | sūtāgre kathayāmāsa kathāṃ pāpāpanodinīm

Translation

Satyavatīs Sohn (Vyāsa), der Verfasser der achtzehn Purāṇas, erzählte—vor dem Sūta—diese Sünde tilgende Begebenheit.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशपुराणानाम्: of the eighteen Purāṇas
• अष्टादशपुराणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टादश पुराणानि)

• कर्त्ता: the author
• कर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्यवतीसुतः: son of Satyavatī (Vyāsa)
• सत्यवतीसुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवती + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सत्यवत्याः सुतः)

• सूताग्रे: in front of the Sūta
• सूताग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य अग्रे)

• कथयामास: narrated, told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story, discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पापापनोदिनीम्: sin-dispelling
• पापापनोदिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + अपनोदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: पापम् अपनोदिनी (sin-removing)

Speaker

Narrator/Compiler

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (topic to follow)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (primary); later ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal teaching assembly: Vyāsa seated on a vyāsāsana with manuscript, Sūta respectfully in front, sages around; the ‘eighteen Purāṇas’ symbolized as stacked palm-leaf bundles; a subtle aura labeled ‘pāpa-apahāriṇī kathā’.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Satyavatī
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening is presented as a purifying act, with the narrative itself described as sin-removing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s framing; the glorification of Kāśī follows in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, śravaṇa (listening) to Purāṇic kathā as a means of purification.