Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा दक्षिणामाशां सनाथामकरोन्मुनिः । निजैश्चरणविन्यासैस्तया साध्व्या तपोनिधिः

Transliteration

ityuktvā dakṣiṇāmāśāṃ sanāthāmakaronmuniḥ | nijaiścaraṇavinyāsaistayā sādhvyā taponidhiḥ

Translation

So sprechend machte der Weise die südliche Himmelsgegend „mit einem Beschützer versehen“. Jener Schatz der Askese schritt mit eigenen Schritten dahin, begleitet von jener tugendhaften Frau.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund): 'having said'

• दक्षिणाम्: southern
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with आशाम्)

• आशाम्: direction, quarter
• आशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सनाथाम्: having a protector
• सनाथाम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (with a protector/with lord)

• अकरोत्: made
• अकरोत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निजैः: with his own
• निजैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with चरणविन्यासैः)

• चरण-विन्यासैः: by (his) foot-placements
• चरण-विन्यासैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चरणानां विन्यासैः = placements of feet)

• तया: by that (woman/that one)
• तया: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साध्व्या: by the virtuous woman
• साध्व्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपोनिधिः: the treasure of austerity (the great ascetic)
• तपोनिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः निधिः = treasure of austerity)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇāpatha (as sanctified by Agastya’s passage)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Audience, implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya strides southward, the southern direction personified as newly protected; beside him walks his virtuous wife, while the path opens under his footprints.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Lopāmudrā (implied)
• Dakṣiṇā diś (the South)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The movement of a dharmic sage sanctifies space; righteousness itself becomes protection for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse frames the South as spiritually ‘secured’ by Agastya’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies the merit of accompanying the righteous and undertaking pilgrim-journeys in a dharmic way.