Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्रीकालराजं च ततः प्रणम्य विज्ञापयामास मुनीशवर्यः । आपृच्छनायाहमिहागतोस्मि श्रीकाशिपुर्यास्तु यतः प्रभुस्त्वम्

Transliteration

śrīkālarājaṃ ca tataḥ praṇamya vijñāpayāmāsa munīśavaryaḥ | āpṛcchanāyāhamihāgatosmi śrīkāśipuryāstu yataḥ prabhustvam

Translation

Dann verneigte sich der erhabenste der Weisen vor dem ehrwürdigen Kālarāja und trug vor: „Ich bin hierher gekommen, um Abschied zu nehmen; denn du bist wahrlich der Herr und Hüter der heiligen Stadt Kāśī.“

Word by Word

• श्रीकालराजम्: Śrī Kālarāja (Lord of Time)
• श्रीकालराजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + कालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् कालराजः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyā (अनुबन्ध/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having bowed’

• विज्ञापयामास: he informed, he submitted
• विज्ञापयामास: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ज्ञप् (धातु) (causative √ज्ञप्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative sense ‘caused to be informed/announced’

• मुनीशवर्यः: the best of sages
• मुनीशवर्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनीश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीशानां वर्यः)

• आपृच्छनाय: for taking leave, to ask permission
• आपृच्छनाय: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्/अर्थे चतुर्थी: ‘āpṛcchanāya’ = infinitive-purpose in dative; ‘for taking leave/asking permission’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आगतः: come
• आगतः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘having come’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन

• श्रीकाशिपुर्याः: of Śrī Kāśī-city
• श्रीकाशिपुर्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + काशीपुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमत् काशीपुरी)

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (since/because)

• प्रभुः: lord, master
• प्रभुः: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

A sage (munīśa-varyaḥ) addressing Kālarāja/Kālabhairava (within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) – Kālarāja/Kṣetrapāla

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A foremost sage bows to Kālarāja, hands folded, speaking a formal request to take leave; Kālarāja appears as a protective, authoritative figure at the threshold of Kāśī—suggesting a city-gate or shrine entrance.

Characters & Entities

• Kālarāja
• Kāśī
• Kāśīpurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach the kṣetrapāla with humility; honoring the guardian of the sacred place is part of dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī), under the lordship/guardianship of Kālarāja (Kālabhairava).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional protocol is implied: bowing (praṇāma) and formally asking leave (āpṛcchā) from the kṣetrapāla.