Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

इति राज्ञोदिता राज्ञी प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे । इति कर्तव्यतां तस्य व्रतस्य सरहस्यकाम्

Transliteration

iti rājñoditā rājñī pravaktumupacakrame | iti kartavyatāṃ tasya vratasya sarahasyakām

Translation

So begann, vom König ermuntert, die Königin zu sprechen, im Wunsch, die Pflichten jenes Gelübdes samt seinem inneren Geheimnis darzulegen.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय; quotative ‘thus’

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular ‘by the king’

• उदिता: addressed/urged
• उदिता: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वद् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद् → उदित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘addressed/urged’ (said to)

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• प्रवक्तुम्: to speak
• प्रवक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) प्र + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); ‘to speak/tell’

• उपचक्रमे: began
• उपचक्रमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उप + लिट्, आत्मनेपद
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘began/undertook’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय; ‘thus’

• कर्तव्यताम्: the duty (to be done)
• कर्तव्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्) + ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; abstract noun ‘the duty/what is to be done’

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of that’

• व्रतस्य: of the vow
• व्रतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of the vow’

• स-रहस्य-काम्: together with the secret
• स-रहस्य-काम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying ‘kartavyatām’; ‘together with its secret’

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a palace or hermitage-like chamber near Kāśī, the king respectfully prompts the queen; she prepares to expound the vow’s duties and its hidden essence.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Queen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vratas are not mere external acts; they carry a rahasya—an inner intention and discipline that must be understood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces a vrata and its kartavya (required observances) but does not list them in this verse.