Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । औत्तानपादिर्निर्गत्य ततः काननतो द्विज । रम्यं मधुवनं प्राप यमुनायास्तटे महत

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | auttānapādirnirgatya tataḥ kānanato dvija | ramyaṃ madhuvanaṃ prāpa yamunāyāstaṭe mahata

Translation

Die Begleiter sprachen: „O Brāhmaṇa, Uttānapādas Sohn (Dhruva) verließ jenen Wald und gelangte zum lieblichen Madhuvana, groß und berühmt, am Ufer der Yamunā.“

Word by Word

• गणौ: the two attendants/groups (gaṇas)
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ऊचतुः: said
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• औत्तानपादिः: Auttānapādi (a person)
• औत्तानपादिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्तानपादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्गत्य: having gone out
• निर्गत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having gone out’

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• काननतः: from the forest
• काननतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मधुवनम्: the honey-grove (Madhuvana)
• मधुवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप: reached
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यमुनायाः: of the Yamunā
• यमुनायाः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महत्: great/large
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madhuvana (Yamunā-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa (dvija) within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva, guided by divine attendants, exits a forest path and arrives at a broad Yamunā bank where Madhuvana’s lush grove opens—river shimmer, flowering trees, and a sense of threshold into a sanctified Vraja landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Uttānapāda
• Yamunā
• Madhuvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual striving often involves pilgrimage—moving from ordinary spaces to sanctified landscapes conducive to tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhuvana on the bank of the Yamunā is identified as the sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse sets the scene for austerity and worship in a sacred grove.