Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

अथोवाचामर गुरुर्देवानपचिकीर्षुकान् । तस्मिन्राजनि धर्मिष्ठे वरिष्ठे मंत्रवेदिषु

Transliteration

athovācāmara gururdevānapacikīrṣukān | tasminrājani dharmiṣṭhe variṣṭhe maṃtravediṣu

Translation

Da sprach der Guru der Unsterblichen zu den Göttern, die gegen ihn handeln wollten, über jenen König—höchst dharmisch, erhaben und der Beste unter den Kennern der Mantra-Kraft.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक/sequence particle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमरगुरुः: the teacher of the gods (Bṛhaspati)
• अमरगुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amara-guru (प्रातिपदिक; अमर + गुरु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अमराणां गुरुः)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन

• अपचिकीर्षुकान्: wishing to depart/withdraw (lit. to do ‘apa-’ action)
• अपचिकीर्षुकान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apa-cikīrṣu (प्रातिपदिक; अप + चिकीर्षु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन; इच्छार्थक-विशेषण (desiderative sense: ‘wishing to do/act’)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• राजनि: in the king
• राजनि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• धर्मिष्ठे: most righteous
• धर्मिष्ठे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; अतिशयवाचक (superlative)

• वरिष्ठे: best, foremost
• वरिष्ठे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: variṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; अतिशयवाचक (superlative)

• मन्त्रवेदिषु: among the knowers of mantras
• मन्त्रवेदिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra-vedin (प्रातिपदिक; मन्त्र + वेदिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रान् वेत्ति इति)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (Amara-guru)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas intending to act against the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati, radiant and composed, addresses the devas poised for action; in the background, a vision-like portrayal of the righteous king with mantra-knowing aura.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Devas
• the righteous king

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hostility toward the righteous is self-defeating; dharma and mantra-competence together form a powerful safeguard.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred milieu is the backdrop; the verse contributes to the mahātmya by portraying dharma’s invincibility within Kāśī-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; mantra-knowledge is praised as a spiritual power allied with dharma.