Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

काशीप्रवृत्तिं नो जाने दिवोदासनृपस्य च । योगिन्यर्कविधीनां च तद्द्वौ यातं भवत्स्वमू

Transliteration

kāśīpravṛttiṃ no jāne divodāsanṛpasya ca | yoginyarkavidhīnāṃ ca taddvau yātaṃ bhavatsvamū

Translation

Ich weiß nicht, was in Kāśī vor sich geht, noch wie es um König Divodāsa steht, noch um die Yoginīs, noch um die Sonne und Vidhi (Brahmā). Darum geht ihr zwei, aus meinen eigenen Dienern, hin.

Word by Word

• काशीप्रवृत्तिम्: the account/origin of Kāśī
• काशीप्रवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; काश्याः प्रवृत्तिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th) बहुवचन (enclitic); ‘our’/‘of us’

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दिवोदासनृपस्य: of King Divodāsa
• दिवोदासनृपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास + नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; दिवोदास-नृपः इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः, तस्य षष्ठी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• योगिन्यर्कविधीनाम्: of the rites of the Yoginīs and the Sun (arka)
• योगिन्यर्कविधीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी + अर्क + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; योगिन्याः अर्कविधयः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समास-समूहः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक

• द्वौ: you two
• द्वौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• यातम्: go (you two)
• यातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• भवत्सु: among you / in your presence
• भवत्सु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• अमू: those two (yonder)
• अमू: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (दूरवाचक सर्वनाम)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned authority figure in council, stating ignorance of Kāśī’s current affairs—Divodāsa’s condition, yoginī rites, and the status of Sūrya and Brahmā—then dispatching two trusted attendants as envoys toward Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Divodāsa
• Yoginīs
• Sūrya (Arka)
• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s spiritual drama is momentous enough to engage gods and kings alike; discerning the truth and acting swiftly is itself a dharmic duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), explicitly named as the sacred center whose ‘pravṛtti’ (current happenings) must be known.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an investigative command within the Kāśī Māhātmya storyline, not a direct rite or vrata.