Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

तपोधनाः समाजग्मुर्निशि शब्दानुसारतः । तत्रेश्वरं समालोक्य कक्षीकृत मृगेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tapodhanāḥ samājagmurniśi śabdānusārataḥ | tatreśvaraṃ samālokya kakṣīkṛta mṛgeśvaram

Translation

Die an Askese Reichen kamen nachts dorthin, dem Klang folgend; und dort erblickten sie den Herrn, der den König der Tiere an seiner Seite festhielt.

Word by Word

• तपोधनाः: ascetics rich in austerity
• तपोधनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः धनम् इव येषाम्/तपोधनाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• समाजग्मुः: came together, arrived
• समाजग्मुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शब्द: of the sound
• शब्द: Sambandha (genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अनुसारतः: following, in accordance with
• अनुसारतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुसार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• कक्षीकृतम्: held in the armpit
• कक्षीकृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कक्षी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (made into/placed in the armpit)

• मृगेश्वरम्: lord of beasts (tiger)
• मृगेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृगाणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāghreśa (implied forthcoming naming)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At night, austere sages arrive guided by the sound; they behold Śiva, serene and radiant, holding a tiger close at His side—tiger subdued yet present, symbol of both danger and grace.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Tapodhanas (sages/ascetics)
• Mṛgeśvara (lord of beasts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and spiritual alertness lead to darśana—sages recognize divine presence when extraordinary signs arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, presented as a living sacred field where sages gather and receive direct vision of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse highlights the sages’ movement toward the divine event, preceding praise and prayer.