Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कृतोपनयनः सोथ बालो गुरुकुले वसन् । चकार गुरुशुश्रूषां भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः

Transliteration

kṛtopanayanaḥ sotha bālo gurukule vasan | cakāra guruśuśrūṣāṃ bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ

Translation

Nachdem sein Upanayana vollzogen war, wohnte er, noch ein Knabe, im Hause des Lehrers; er diente dem Guru und lebte von Speise, die er durch Almosengang erhielt.

Word by Word

• कृतोपनयनः: having undergone upanayana
• कृतोपनयनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु; कृदन्त) + उपनयन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (कृत) + तत्पुरुषः (उपनयनं कृतम् यस्य) विशेषणम् (बालः/सः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक निपात)

• बालः: boy
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गुरुकुले: in the teacher's household
• गुरुकुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः कुलम्)

• वसन्: dwelling, staying
• वसन्: Kriya (Participial action/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (धातु) → वसत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः/बालः)

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गुरुशुश्रूषाम्: service to the teacher
• गुरुशुश्रूषाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः शुश्रूषा)

• भिक्षा: by alms
• भिक्षा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनवाचक (भिक्षया)

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भिक्षा-अन्न इति समुच्चयार्थे

• कृतभोजनः: one who ate (only) after (getting) alms/food
• कृतभोजनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु; कृदन्त) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त + तत्पुरुषः (भोजनं कृतम् यस्य) विशेषणम् (सः)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva) (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Young Viśvakarman, sacred thread newly donned, lives in a forest-edge gurukula; he serves the guru—sweeping, fetching water, tending fire—subsisting on alms-food, embodying humility before mastery.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman (implied)
• Guru (teacher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic greatness is grounded in dharma: discipline, humility, and service to the guru are portrayed as the foundation of later excellence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; this is biographical setup within the Viśvakarmeśvara māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upanayana is referenced; brahmacarya-style living—guru service and bhikṣā—is described.