Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कदाचिदुपविष्टःसन्मध्ये राजसभं द्विज । दूरात्कार्पटिकैर्दृष्टो वाराणस्याः समागतैः

Transliteration

kadācidupaviṣṭaḥsanmadhye rājasabhaṃ dvija | dūrātkārpaṭikairdṛṣṭo vārāṇasyāḥ samāgataiḥ

Translation

Einst, o Brāhmane, als er inmitten der königlichen Versammlung saß, wurde er von fern von umherziehenden Bettelmönchen erblickt, die aus Vārāṇasī gekommen waren.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश् (धातु) + उप (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सन्: being
• सन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• राजसभम्: the royal assembly
• राजसभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (राज्ञः सभा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘सभा’ किन्तु समासे नपुंसकवत्/द्वितीया एकवचन रूपम् ‘सभम्’ (पाठानुसार); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज: O Brahmin
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• कार्पटिकैः: by rogues/cheats
• कार्पटिकैः: Karana (Instrument/agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• समागतैः: assembled, having come
• समागतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier of कार्पटिकैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + आ (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘समागत’ = assembled/arrived

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija (explicitly addressed: 'dvija')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand royal assembly: the king seated amid ministers and brāhmaṇas; at the far entrance, dust-covered mendicants/pilgrims from Vārāṇasī appear, staff and waterpot in hand, drawing the court’s attention from afar.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kārpaṭika (mendicants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy persons and pilgrims move through worldly centers, bringing the influence of sacred Kāśī into royal and social life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), explicitly named as the origin point of arriving mendicants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets a narrative moment involving kārpaṭikas and the royal court.