Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथवांबरकासारसारयूपस्वरूपधृक् । कोयं कथय तं देवौ कृपया परया मम

Transliteration

athavāṃbarakāsārasārayūpasvarūpadhṛk | koyaṃ kathaya taṃ devau kṛpayā parayā mama

Translation

Oder er trägt die Gestalt eines hohen Opferpfostens, die reine Essenz des Glanzes des Himmels. Sagt mir, o Göttliche, aus großer Barmherzigkeit: wer ist er?

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else / alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-समुच्चय/विकल्प (disjunctive particle: 'or else')

• अम्बर: sky, garment
• अम्बर: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• कासार: pond, lake
• कासार: Visheshya (Head/qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कासार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• सार: essence, best part
• सार: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• यूप: sacrificial post
• यूप: Visheshya (Head/qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• स्वरूप: form, nature
• स्वरूप: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• धृक्: bearing, holding
• धृक्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) + क्विप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; 'धृक्' = धारणशीलः (one who bears); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (used adjectivally)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• कथय: tell, explain
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• कृपया: with compassion
• कृपया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: 'out of compassion')

• परया: supreme, great
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणं कृपायाः (agreeing with कृपया)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śivaśarman (addressing the two divine beings/attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-like figure beholds a radiant, sky-essence form resembling a tall sacrificial post (yūpa) or cosmic pillar; he implores two divine attendants to identify it with compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• devau (two divine ones)
• yūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent questioning and humility before the divine opens the door to sacred knowledge and transformative kathā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha in this verse; it is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s wider sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, though the yūpa imagery evokes yajña symbolism and the sanctity of Vedic rite.