Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

कस्तां मां प्रापयेच्छंभोः कथं यामि तथा वद । स तपस्वीति तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य श्रद्धयान्वितम्

Transliteration

kastāṃ māṃ prāpayecchaṃbhoḥ kathaṃ yāmi tathā vada | sa tapasvīti tadvākyamākarṇya śraddhayānvitam

Translation

„Wer wird mich zu jenem Ort Śambhus führen? Wie soll ich gehen—sage es mir wahrhaftig.“ Als der Asket, von Glauben erfüllt, diese Worte vernahm, antwortete er.

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ताम्: her/that (place)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रापयेत्: would lead (me) to / make (me) reach
• प्रापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage: 'cause to reach'

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: manner)

• यामि: do I go / shall I go
• यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/in that way')

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• तपस्वी: the ascetic
• तपस्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इति-पूर्वकं नाम/विशेषण-रूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to वाक्यम्)

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having heard; उपसर्ग: आ

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अन्वितम्: endowed (with)
• अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ धातु with anu-; lexicalized)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषण (to तद्वाक्यम्)

Speaker

Tvāṣṭra (first half); Narrator voice continues (second half)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Śambhu’s place in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the tapasvin (about to reply)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tvāṣṭra, earnest and humble, asks ‘who will lead me?’; the tapasvin listens with compassionate steadiness, poised to instruct—suggesting the start of a guided Kāśī pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Ānandavana/Kāśī (implied)
• Tapasvī (ascetic guide)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a sacred kṣetra is aided by humility and guidance; sincere inquiry combined with faith invites the right help.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śambhu’s Ānandavana—Kāśī—implicitly the destination sought.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes seeking instruction (upadeśa) and guidance for pilgrimage.