Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । सर्वज्ञसूनो षड्वक्त्र सर्वार्थकुशल प्रभो । प्रादुर्भावं निशम्यैषां लिंगानां मुक्तिदायिनाम्

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | sarvajñasūno ṣaḍvaktra sarvārthakuśala prabho | prādurbhāvaṃ niśamyaiṣāṃ liṃgānāṃ muktidāyinām

Translation

Agastya sprach: O Herr mit den sechs Antlitzen, Sohn des Allwissenden, Meister, der in jedem Anliegen kundig ist; nachdem ich von den Erscheinungen dieser befreiungsspendenden Liṅgas gehört habe, (möchte ich mehr erfahren).

Word by Word

• agastyaḥ: Agastya
• agastyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (अगस्त्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sarvajña-sūno: O son of the omniscient
• sarvajña-sūno: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajña (सर्वज्ञ) + sūnu (सूनु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वज्ञस्य सूनुः (son of the omniscient)

• ṣaḍ-vaktra: O six-faced one
• ṣaḍ-vaktra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (षट्) + vaktra (वक्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—षड् वक्त्राणि यस्य (six-faced)

• sarva-artha-kuśala: O skilled in all matters
• sarva-artha-kuśala: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + artha (अर्थ) + kuśala (कुशल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषु अर्थेषु कुशलः (skilled in all matters)

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रभु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• prādurbhāvam: manifestation / appearance
• prādurbhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prādurbhāva (प्रादुर्भाव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• niśamya: having heard
• niśamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-√śam (शम्/शमुँ धातु ‘to perceive/hear’) + ल्यप् (ल्यप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): having heard/learnt

• eṣām: of these
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• liṅgānām: of liṅgas
• liṅgānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mukti-dāyinām: of (those) giving liberation
• mukti-dāyinām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti (मुक्ति) + dāyin (दायिन्; √dā धातु से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समूहवाचक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—मुक्तिं ददाति (giver of liberation)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukti-dāyin liṅgas of Kāśī (topic-introduction)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda/Kumāra (Ṣaḍvaktra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Agastya, hands folded, addresses Skanda (six-faced) in a hermitage-like setting; the atmosphere is inquisitive and reverent, with symbolic liṅgas or a map-like depiction of Kāśī’s sacred points behind.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (Ṣaḍvaktra, Sarvajña-sūnu)
• Liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The seeker approaches a competent teacher with humility; inquiry (praśna) after hearing sacred lore deepens understanding of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī context continues—liṅgas within Kāśī celebrated as mukti-dāyaka (liberation-bestowing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it models śravaṇa (hearing) followed by praśna (reverent inquiry).