Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अथ नारायणो देवस्तं दृष्ट्वा दृढमानसम् । अनन्यशरणं बालं गत्वा तार्क्ष्यरथोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

atha nārāyaṇo devastaṃ dṛṣṭvā dṛḍhamānasam | ananyaśaraṇaṃ bālaṃ gatvā tārkṣyaratho'bravīt

Translation

Daraufhin trat der Herr Nārāyaṇa, als er den Knaben sah, fest im Sinn und einzig bei Ihm Zuflucht suchend, heran—auf Garuḍa reitend—und sprach.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (indeclinable; then/now marker)

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; नारायणस्य विशेषणरूपेण (appositional)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• दृढमानसम्: firm-minded
• दृढमानसम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तम्/बालम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनन्यशरणम्: having no other refuge
• अनन्यशरणम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बालम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (having no other refuge)

• बालम्: the boy
• बालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone (to him)
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone/approached)

• तार्क्ष्यरथः: he whose chariot is (with) Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्यरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तार्क्ष्यस्य रथः (Garuda as charioteer/vehicle)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; likely Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young ascetic absorbed in tapas; the sky parts as Nārāyaṇa arrives mounted on Garuḍa, radiance spilling over the sacred landscape; the boy’s unwavering posture contrasts with the dynamic descent of the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Dhruva
• Garuḍa (Tārkṣya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded refuge (ananya-śaraṇāgati) draws divine grace and direct encounter with the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context glorifies Kāśī overall; this verse highlights the devotional climax (darśana) rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies tapas and unwavering surrender as the spiritual discipline.