Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

इति शृणवन्मुखात्तासां वचनानि विमानगः । देवौ कस्यायमतुलो लोकस्तेजोमयः शुभः

Transliteration

iti śṛṇavanmukhāttāsāṃ vacanāni vimānagaḥ | devau kasyāyamatulo lokastejomayaḥ śubhaḥ

Translation

Als er diese Worte aus ihrem eigenen Mund vernahm, fragte der Reisende im Himmelswagen: „O Götter, wessen ist diese unvergleichliche, glückverheißende Welt, ganz aus Licht gewoben?“

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/पूर्वोक्त-सूचक

• शृणवन्: hearing
• शृणवन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृणवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying 'विमानगः'

• मुखात्: from (their) mouth
• मुखात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• वचनानि: words
• वचनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• विमानगः: one who is in a celestial car
• विमानगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विमाने गच्छति/विमाने स्थितः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवौ: the two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• कस्य: of whom / whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अतुलः: incomparable
• अतुलः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying 'लोकः'

• लोकः: world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तेजोमयः: made of radiance
• तेजोमयः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तेजसा मयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying 'लोकः'

• शुभः: auspicious
• शुभः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; qualifying 'लोकः'

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration; question posed by the vimāna-traveler)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (narrative frame) / tejas-maya loka (vision)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (macro-frame); immediate: brāhmaṇa traveler addressing divine attendants

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa traveler stands or sits within a vimāna, leaning forward in wonder, addressing two divine attendants; ahead lies an incomparable radiant world shimmering like condensed light.

Characters & Entities

• Vimāna (celestial car)
• Two gods (devau; attendants implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual progress awakens inquiry: the seeker naturally asks about the source and lordship of higher, luminous states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a celestial loka rather than an earthly tīrtha; it remains embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred-journey framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question introducing the explanation of a particular realm.