Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । ध्रुवावधेहि वक्ष्यामि हितं तव महामते । येन ते निश्चलं सम्यक्पदमेतद्भविष्यति

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | dhruvāvadhehi vakṣyāmi hitaṃ tava mahāmate | yena te niścalaṃ samyakpadametadbhaviṣyati

Translation

Der erhabene Herr sprach: „O Dhruva, höre aufmerksam; ich werde dir sagen, was wahrhaft zu deinem Heil ist, o Großgesinnter — wodurch dir dieser höchste, unerschütterliche Stand rechtmäßig zuteilwerden wird.“

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: श्रीमान् भगवान्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्रुव: O Dhruva
• ध्रुव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• अवधेहि: listen/heed
• अवधेहि: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: ‘धारय/मनसि निधेहि’

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हितम्: what is beneficial
• हितम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; √धा/√हि-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘beneficial (thing)’

• तव: for you / of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: महती मतिः यस्य सः

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक ‘by which/through which’

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/for whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्) वा षष्ठी एकवचन (ते = तव); अत्र अर्थतः ‘for you’

• निश्चलम्: steady/immovable
• निश्चलम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पदम्: state/abode/position
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (पदम्)

• भविष्यति: will become / will be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhagavān (the Lord; within Dhruva narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhruva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine figure (Bhagavān) addressing Dhruva with a gesture of instruction; Dhruva stands/sits with folded hands, attentive; the background hints at Kāśī’s sacred skyline as the destination of the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance (upadeśa) leads to a stable, higher spiritual attainment when received with attentive listening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not in this verse; the subsequent verses explicitly turn toward Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (attentive hearing) of the Lord’s beneficial instruction.