Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

निदानमप्सरोलोकस्येतिशृण्वन्द्विजाग्रणीः । सौरं लोकमथ प्राप्य क्षणेन स विमानगः

Transliteration

nidānamapsarolokasyetiśṛṇvandvijāgraṇīḥ | sauraṃ lokamatha prāpya kṣaṇena sa vimānagaḥ

Translation

Als er so die Ursache vernahm, durch die man die Welt der Apsaras erlangt, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, erreichte er—auf einem himmlischen Vimāna fahrend—in einem Augenblick die Sonnenwelt.

Word by Word

• निदानम्: cause/origin
• निदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• अप्सरोलोकस्य: of the world of apsarases
• अप्सरोलोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरोलोक (प्रातिपदिक: अप्सरस् + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive singular; समास: अप्सरस् + लोक

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

• शृण्वन्: hearing
• शृण्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (श्रु श्रवणे)
• Form: कृदन्त: शतृ (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Pres. act. participle, Masculine, Nominative singular

• द्विजाग्रणीः: the foremost of the twice-born (brahmin sage)
• द्विजाग्रणीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; समास: द्विजानाम् अग्रणीः

• सौरम्: solar; of the Sun
• सौरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular (qualifying 'लोकम्')

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive particle: then/now)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √आप् (आप् प्राप्तौ) + प्र
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having reached

• क्षणेन: in an instant
• क्षणेन: Karana (Means/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• विमानगः: one traveling in an aerial car
• विमानगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; √गम् गत्यर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक 'ग' — Masculine, Nominative singular; 'one who goes in a vimāna'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as source of māhātmya-śravaṇa) / Sūryaloka (as attained realm)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāgrṇī (addressed: ‘O best of twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned dvija, having heard the secret cause of apsaras-loka, is lifted into a radiant vimāna that streaks upward toward the blazing realm of the Sun, leaving Kāśī behind like a sacred mandala below.

Characters & Entities

• Apsaroloka
• Sauraloka (Sūryaloka)
• Vimāna
• Dvijāgraṇī (addressed listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right knowledge of causes (nidāna) and the merit behind attainments is presented as leading to higher spiritual destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The macro-context is Kāśī’s sacred discourse; the verse specifically mentions Sauraloka (the realm of Sūrya) rather than an earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse narrates attainment and movement to Sūrya’s realm.