Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अधीत्येमां कथां दिव्यां न तृप्तिमधियाम्यहम् । शेवधिस्तपसां देवैरगस्तिः प्रार्थितः कथम्

Transliteration

adhītyemāṃ kathāṃ divyāṃ na tṛptimadhiyāmyaham | śevadhistapasāṃ devairagastiḥ prārthitaḥ katham

Translation

Obwohl ich diese göttliche Erzählung studiert habe, erlange ich noch immer keine Sättigung. Wie wurde Agastya, die Schatzkammer der Askese (tapas), von den Göttern erbeten?

Word by Word

• अधीत्य: having studied
• अधीत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि-इ (धातु) √इ (गत्यर्थ; अध्ययने ‘अधि-इ’) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having studied’

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (demonstrative)

• कथाम्: story, narration
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधियामि: I attain, I reach
• अधियामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-या (धातु) √या (गत्यर्थ; ‘to go to/attain’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन (common gender usage)

• शेवधिः: treasure
• शेवधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपसाम्: of austerities
• तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अगस्तिः: Agastya
• अगस्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रार्थितः: was requested
• प्रार्थितः: Kriya-anuvṛtti (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√अर्थ् (याचने) (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘requested’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation from 3.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (frame); Agastya’s locus not specified in verse

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Acyuta (as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta (or the inquiring speaker) expresses eager dissatisfaction—hands raised in request—while a vision-like backdrop shows devas approaching sage Agastya, the ascetic seated in tapas with a radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agastya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives are approached with ever-renewed thirst; great sages like Agastya become instruments of divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question focusing on Agastya and the gods.