Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

नमोस्तु ते ब्रह्मविदांवराय दिगंबरायांबर संस्थिताय । हिरण्यवर्णाय हिरण्यबाहवे नमो हिरण्याय हिरण्यरेतसे

Transliteration

namostu te brahmavidāṃvarāya digaṃbarāyāṃbara saṃsthitāya | hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyabāhave namo hiraṇyāya hiraṇyaretase

Translation

Verehrung Dir, dem Besten unter den Brahman-Erkennenden; dem himmelsgekleideten Asketen, im Himmel gegründet; goldfarben, goldarmig — Verehrung dem Goldenen, von goldener Kraft und schöpferischer Potenz.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle), नमस्कारार्थे

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन (छान्दस/प्रयोगः)

• ब्रह्मविदाम्: of the knowers of Brahman
• ब्रह्मविदाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √विद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्म विदन्ति ये)

• वराय: to the best/excellent one
• वराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दिगंबराय: to the sky-clad one
• दिगंबराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिशः अम्बरं यस्य)

• अम्बर: in the sky/garment
• अम्बर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासाङ्गरूपेण (अम्बरसंस्थिताय इति)

• संस्थिताय: to the one stationed/abiding
• संस्थिताय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = stationed

• हिरण्यवर्णाय: to the golden-colored one
• हिरण्यवर्णाय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हिरण्यः वर्णः यस्य)

• हिरण्यबाहवे: to the one with golden arms
• हिरण्यबाहवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हिरण्याः बाहवः यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle), नमस्कारार्थे

• हिरण्याय: to the golden one
• हिरण्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• हिरण्यरेतसे: to the one of golden seed/energy
• हिरण्यरेतसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (रेतस्), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हिरण्यं रेतः यस्य)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (jñāna-vairāgya frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda appears as a radiant golden ascetic, sky-clad, standing against a vast celestial blue; his arms gleam like gold; Agastya’s gaze is steady, as if receiving brahma-vidyā through darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Brahma-vids (knowers of Brahman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual mastery unites renunciation (digambara) with luminous power (hiraṇya), showing dharma as both purity and potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctity forms the backdrop, where knowledge of Brahman and worship of divine forms are celebrated together.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it is a mantra-like praise emphasizing contemplation of the deity’s attributes.