Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । पार्वतीहृदयानंद पार्वतीश समुद्भवम् । कथयेह यदुद्दिष्टं भवता प्रागघापहम्

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | pārvatīhṛdayānaṃda pārvatīśa samudbhavam | kathayeha yaduddiṣṭaṃ bhavatā prāgaghāpaham

Translation

Agastya sprach: „O Quell der Freude im Herzen Pārvatīs, o Herr Pārvatīs, verkünde hier die Erzählung, die du zuvor angedeutet hast – jene, die die Sünde tilgt.“

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पार्वतीहृदयानन्द: O joy of Pārvatī’s heart
• पार्वतीहृदयानन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्वत्याः हृदयस्य आनन्दः)

• पार्वतीश: O lord of Pārvatī
• पार्वतीश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्वत्याः ईशः)

• समुद्भवम्: arisen/originating
• समुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-भू (धातु) → समुद्भव (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) अर्थे ‘उत्पन्न’

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• उद्दिष्टम्: indicated/mentioned
• उद्दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘निर्दिष्ट/उक्त’

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; आदरार्थ सर्वनाम

• प्राक्: formerly/before
• प्राक्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time) ‘पूर्वम्’

• अघापहम्: sin-destroying
• अघापहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अघस्य अपहः = पापनाशकः)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra (implied frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (addressed), then Agastya (listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Agastya) respectfully questions Skanda, requesting the previously hinted sin-destroying account; the setting evokes a sacred discourse atmosphere associated with Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Pārvatī
• Pārvatīśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking and hearing sacred narration is itself a dharmic act believed to cleanse sin and elevate understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the opening request within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī-focused) section, setting the stage for Kāśī’s sacred narratives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes kathā-śravaṇa (hearing sacred discourse) as aghāpaha (sin-removing).