Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । अर्भकत्वं गतोपीशः किं रुरोद षडानन । यदि वेत्सि तदाचक्ष्व महत्कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | arbhakatvaṃ gatopīśaḥ kiṃ ruroda ṣaḍānana | yadi vetsi tadācakṣva mahatkautūhalaṃ hi me

Translation

Agastya sprach: „Obwohl der Herr zum Säugling wurde, warum weinte er, o Sechsgesichtiger? Wenn du es weißt, sage es mir — groß ist wahrlich meine Neugier.“

Word by Word

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

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

• अर्भकत्वम्: childhood
• अर्भकत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भकत्व (प्रातिपदिक; अर्भक + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘state of being a child’

• गतः: having attained
• गतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past participle ‘gone/attained’ qualifying ईशः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘even/also’

• ईशः: the Lord (Śiva)
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘the Lord’

• किम्: why / what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म) / प्रश्नार्थक; ‘why/what’

• रुरोद: cried
• रुरोद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; cried

• षडानन: O six-faced one
• षडानन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘six-faced’ (addressing Skanda)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• वेत्सि: you know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; you know

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘that’ (object of आचक्ष्व)

• आचक्ष्व: tell
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; tell/declare

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; qualifying कौतूहलम्

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘curiosity’

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) emphasizing reason/indeed

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive ‘my’

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, austere sage, addresses Skanda (Ṣaḍānana) with folded hands; Skanda poised to answer, youthful warrior-god with six faces, spear (śakti) nearby, serene teacherly presence.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)
• Īśa (Śiva/Rudra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred inquiry (jijñāsā) is honored; the Purāṇa advances dharma through respectful questioning of enlightened teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse is a dialogue transition rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed here.