Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

निशम्य काश्यपिरितिप्रसूपादौप्रणम्य च । गृहीताशीर्ययौ शीघ्रं खमार्गेण खगेश्वरः

Transliteration

niśamya kāśyapiritiprasūpādaupraṇamya ca | gṛhītāśīryayau śīghraṃ khamārgeṇa khageśvaraḥ

Translation

Nachdem der Herr der Vögel seine Mutter Kāśyapī so vernommen und sich vor ihren Füßen verneigt hatte, nahm er ihren Segen an und zog eilends auf dem Himmelsweg davon.

Word by Word

• निशम्य: having heard/understood
• निशम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम्/श्रु (धातु; अर्थे ‘श्रवण/अवगम’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• काश्यपि: Kāśyapa
• काश्यपि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• प्रसू-पादौ: the mother's feet
• प्रसू-पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रसूः पादौ)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• गृहीत-आशीः: having received a blessing
• गृहीत-आशीः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √ग्रह्) + आशीस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (गृहीता आशीः यस्य)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ख-मार्गेण: by the sky-path; through the air
• ख-मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Path/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (खस्य मार्गः)

• खग-ईश्वरः: the lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• खग-ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (खगानाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Skanda–Agastya frame typical of Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa bows at Vinatā’s feet, receives blessings, and launches into the sky; a transition from counsel to action.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Khageśvara/Tārkṣya)
• Vinatā (Kāśyapī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to righteous counsel and reverence to one’s mother are upheld as dharmic virtues that guide action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader text glorifies Kāśī; this verse is a narrative transition without a direct tirtha reference.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the act highlighted is praṇāma (bowing) and receiving blessings as a dharmic practice.