Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अथ शंभुं शतधृतिः प्रबद्धकरसंपुटः । परिविज्ञापयांचक्रे प्रसन्नवदनांबुजम्

Transliteration

atha śaṃbhuṃ śatadhṛtiḥ prabaddhakarasaṃpuṭaḥ | parivijñāpayāṃcakre prasannavadanāṃbujam

Translation

Daraufhin wandte sich Śatadhṛti (Brahmā), die Hände in ehrfürchtiger Bitte gefaltet, respektvoll an Śambhu, dessen lotosgleiches Antlitz heiter und gnädig war.

Word by Word

• अथ: then, thereafter
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/beginning marker)

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शतधृतिः: Śatadhṛti (Brahmā)
• शतधृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतधृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रबद्ध-कर-संपुटः: with joined hands (in reverence)
• प्रबद्ध-कर-संपुटः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रबद्ध (कृदन्त/कृ + क्त) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विशेष्यः: शतधृतिः); अर्थः ‘प्रबद्धः करयोः संपुटः यस्य’ (with hands joined as a cupped gesture)

• परि-विज्ञापयाम्-चक्रे: made a respectful submission / informed
• परि-विज्ञापयाम्-चक्रे: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + विज्ञापय् (धातु; णिच् causative of √ज्ञा) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘विज्ञापयाम्’ इति नामधातु/णिच्-प्रयोगः सह ‘चक्रे’ (periphrastic perfect)

• प्रसन्न-वदन-अम्बुजम्: the serene lotus-like face (of Śiva)
• प्रसन्न-वदन-अम्बुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसन्न (कृदन्त/प्रसद् + क्त) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः—‘प्रसन्नं वदनं (यत्) अम्बुजम्’ (the lotus-like face that is serene)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, preceding Brahmā’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Śatadhṛti) stands with hands in añjali, facing serene lotus-faced Śambhu; a quiet Kāśī backdrop with subtle ghāṭa/temple silhouettes and a calm, blessing-bearing presence of Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Śatadhṛti (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching the Divine with humility and reverence (añjali) is portrayed as the proper dharmic posture in sacred dialogue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s māhātmya framework, though this verse itself is a scene-setting address.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse highlights devotional conduct—joined palms and respectful speech.