Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्थिता सुतासु निःश्वसस्य मंदभाग्या वयं त्विति । गतः पुण्यतमांल्लोकानसौ यत्पुण्यवत्तमः

Transliteration

sthitā sutāsu niḥśvasasya maṃdabhāgyā vayaṃ tviti | gataḥ puṇyatamāṃllokānasau yatpuṇyavattamaḥ

Translation

Unter ihren Gefährtinnen stehend, seufzten sie: „Wahrlich, wir sind unglücklich“; denn er—so überaus verdienstvoll—ist in die heiligsten Welten hingegangen.

Word by Word

• स्थिताः: (they) stood / remained
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; adjectival participle agreeing with implied subject

• सुतासु: among the daughters
• सुतासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• निःश्वसस्य: of the sighing one / of him who was sighing
• निःश्वसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-श्वस् (धातु) → निःश्वस (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-आधारित प्रातिपदिक), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मन्दभाग्याः: unfortunate
• मन्दभाग्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; qualifying 'वयम्' (speaker group)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle of contrast/emphasis)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• गतः: has gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; agrees with 'असौ'

• पुण्यतमān: most holy
• पुण्यतमān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; superlative (तमप्) qualifying 'लोकान्'

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यत्: since / because / who
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धसूचक अव्यय/यत्-कारक (relative particle introducing reason/relative clause)

• पुण्यवत्तमः: most virtuous / most meritorious
• पुण्यवत्तमः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; superlative (तमप्)

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration; quoted speech of devakanyās)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical Purāṇic frame; local scene: companions speaking among themselves)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of companions stand together, heads bowed, exhaling in regret as a radiant path or distant luminous realm is seen beyond, indicating the meritorious one’s ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Devakanyās (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puṇya is portrayed as a real spiritual capital: it elevates the soul to purer realms, beyond even heavenly longing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative that frames such merit as rooted in sacred conduct and pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated; the verse emphasizes the consequence of exceptional merit.