Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

मित्रावरुणसंज्ञं वा किमेषामाशुपुत्रदम् । क्षणं विचार्य स मुनिरिति विश्वानरः सुधीः

Transliteration

mitrāvaruṇasaṃjñaṃ vā kimeṣāmāśuputradam | kṣaṇaṃ vicārya sa muniriti viśvānaraḥ sudhīḥ

Translation

„Oder ist er als ‚Mitrāvaruṇa‘ bekannt? Wer von diesen gewährt rasch einen Sohn? Einen Augenblick erwägend, sprach der weise Weise Viśvānara so.“

Word by Word

• मित्रावरुणसंज्ञम्: having the designation ‘Mitra-Varuṇa’
• मित्रावरुणसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र + वरुण + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (मित्र-वरुण) + षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रावरुणयोः संज्ञा यस्य तत्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• किम्: what?/whether?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन

• आशुपुत्रदम्: quickly granting a son
• आशुपुत्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु + पुत्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (आशु पुत्रं ददाति इति/आशु-पुत्रदः = quickly granting a son)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरणार्थे द्वितीया (for a moment)

• विचार्य: having reflected/considered
• विचार्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having considered

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (thus)

• विश्वानरः: Viśvānara (proper name)
• विश्वानरः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण मुनिविशेषः

• सुधीः: wise, intelligent
• सुधीः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-धीः = good/intelligent-minded)

Speaker

Narrator within Skanda’s discourse (deduced); Viśvānara is the speaking sage in this moment

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mitrāvaruṇa-saṃjña liṅga (as queried)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thoughtful sage pauses in a Kāśī lane, mentally weighing shrine-names; behind him, signboards/arches indicate different liṅgas; a subtle Vedic motif of Mitra-Varuṇa (sun and water) appears as symbolic overlay.

Characters & Entities

• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Viśvānara (sage)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage tradition also addresses householders’ aims; in Kāśī, devotion is framed as capable of fulfilling righteous desires when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī generally; the verse points toward a particular liṅga/shrine reputed as āśu-putrada (swiftly granting progeny), possibly connected with the name Mitrāvaruṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is stated—only the intent of seeking putra-prāpti through worship at an identified Kāśī shrine.