Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामि देवदेवसमागमम् । तार्क्ष्यात्त्र्यक्षः समाकर्ण्य दिवोदासस्य चेष्टितम्

Transliteration

idānīṃ śrotumicchāmi devadevasamāgamam | tārkṣyāttryakṣaḥ samākarṇya divodāsasya ceṣṭitam

Translation

Nun wünsche ich von der Zusammenkunft des Gottes der Götter zu hören. Wie antwortete der Dreiäugige Herr, nachdem er es von Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) vernommen hatte, hinsichtlich der Taten Divodāsas?

Word by Word

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव-देव-समागमम्: the meeting with the God of gods
• देव-देव-समागमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवदेवस्य समागमः = meeting of the god of gods)

• तार्क्ष्यात्: from Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• त्र्यक्षः: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि अक्षाणि यस्य)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-कर्ण् (धातु) → समाकर्ण्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund)

• दिवोदासस्य: of Divodāsa
• दिवोदासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• चेष्टितम्: deed, conduct, exploits
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from चेष्ट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (to answer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya requests the episode of the ‘meeting of the God of gods’: Garuḍa conveying news to the Three-eyed Śiva, leading to discussion of Divodāsa’s deeds and Kāśī’s fate.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Tryakṣa)
• Garuḍa (Tārkṣya)
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames sacred history as a chain of transmission—divine events are to be heard carefully, since they reveal dharma through exemplary deeds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa context is Kāśī, especially the Divodāsa cycle connected to the city’s sacred governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is an inquiry initiating further narration.