Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

इति शृण्वन्क्षणात्प्राप पुनरन्यन्मनोहरम् । शिवशर्माथ पप्रच्छ किं संज्ञं नगरं त्विदम्

Transliteration

iti śṛṇvankṣaṇātprāpa punaranyanmanoharam | śivaśarmātha papraccha kiṃ saṃjñaṃ nagaraṃ tvidam

Translation

Als er dies hörte, stieß er sogleich auf einen weiteren bezaubernden Anblick. Da fragte Śivaśarmā: „Wie heißt diese Stadt?“

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणार्थक (indeclinable; quotative/"thus")

• शृण्वन्: hearing
• शृण्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• क्षणात्: from/within a moment
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन (masc. abl. sg.)

• प्राप: attained/obtained
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अन्यत्: another (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• मनोहरम्: charming
• मनोहरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manohara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.); विशेषण (qualifier of अन्यत्)

• शिवशर्मा: Śivaśarmā
• शिवशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaśarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; then/now)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• संज्ञम्: named/called
• संज्ञम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.); ‘नाम’ अर्थे (as “named/called”)

• नगरम्: city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle; but/indeed)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, deduced) reporting Śivaśarmā’s question

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim (Śivaśarmā) pauses, astonished, before a newly revealed, charming cityscape; attendant Gaṇas stand as guides, the skyline shimmering with otherworldly order.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarmā
• Nagara (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives guide the seeker through holy realms, prompting inquiry into the identity and sanctity of places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A city is being introduced in the story, but this verse alone does not yet specify its name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition and question.