Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

स्त्रीवृद्धबालगोपाल वदनोदीरितानि तु । श्रूयते यत्रकुत्रापि रम्याणि मधुविद्विषः

Transliteration

strīvṛddhabālagopāla vadanodīritāni tu | śrūyate yatrakutrāpi ramyāṇi madhuvidviṣaḥ

Translation

Aus dem Mund von Frauen, Greisen, Kindern und jungen Kuhhirten—überall, an jedem Ort—erklingen die lieblichen Namen des Feindes Madhus (Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• स्त्रीवृद्धबालगोपाल: women, elders, children, and cowherds (collectively)
• स्त्रीवृद्धबालगोपाल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + गोपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (समुच्चयः: स्त्री च वृद्धः च बालः च गोपालः च)

• वदन: by (their) mouth/speech
• वदन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• उदीरितानि: uttered, pronounced
• उदीरितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु) → उदीरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त/क्तवत्-भावः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नामानि)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• श्रूयते: is heard
• श्रूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is heard)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (where)

• कुत्र: anywhere
• कुत्र: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (anywhere)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक (even/also)

• रम्याणि: delightful, charming
• रम्याणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नामानि)

• मधुविद्विषः: of Madhusūdana (Vishnu)
• मधुविद्विषः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + द्विष् (धातु) → विद्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधोः विद्विष् = मधुविद्विष्, ‘slayer/enemy of Madhu’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (public spaces and households)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Kāśī’s alleys and courtyards, women at doorways, elders on verandas, children playing, and cowherd-boys calling to cattle—all spontaneously utter ‘Madhusūdana’ and other Hari-names; the air itself feels sweet with kīrtana.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Madhusūdana (Madhu-vidviṣ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti through the divine name is universal—beyond age, gender, or social position—and naturally spreads as sweet speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider setting is Kāśī; the verse emphasizes ubiquity (‘anywhere’) rather than a single localized tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, nāma-saṅkīrtana (joyful utterance of the Lord’s names) as a simple, widely practicable devotion.