Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

प्राप्य वाराणसीं तूर्णमाशु स्यंदनगो विभुः । वाडवीं मूर्तिमालंब्य प्राविशच्छकुनैः स्तुतः

Transliteration

prāpya vārāṇasīṃ tūrṇamāśu syaṃdanago vibhuḥ | vāḍavīṃ mūrtimālaṃbya prāviśacchakunaiḥ stutaḥ

Translation

Als er rasch Vārāṇasī erreichte, nahm der Mächtige, auf einem Wagen fahrend, die Gestalt einer Stute an und trat ein, gepriesen von glückverheißenden Vogelzeichen.

Word by Word

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra-; prāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; ‘having reached’

• vārāṇasīm: Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tūrṇam: quickly
• tūrṇam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• āśu: swiftly
• āśu: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• syaṃdanagaḥ: chariot-rider
• syaṃdanagaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: syaṃdana (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘syaṃdane gaḥ’ = one who goes in a chariot

• vibhuḥ: the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• vāḍavīm: the mare-form (vāḍavī)
• vāḍavīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāḍavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• mūrtim: form
• mūrtim: Karma (Object of gerund)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• ālaṃbya: having assumed
• ālaṃbya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Verb
• Root: √laṃb (धातु) + ā-; ālaṃbya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; ‘having assumed/taken support of’

• prāviśat: entered
• prāviśat: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु) + pra-
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist/लुङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• śakunaiḥ: by birds/omens
• śakunaiḥ: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakuni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• stutaḥ: praised
• stutaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stu (धातु); stuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; agrees with subject

Speaker

Skanda (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure arrives at Kāśī in a chariot, then assumes a mare-form at the city’s edge; birds circle overhead as auspicious omens while the city’s ghāṭas and spires appear in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Gaṇeśa
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Śakuna (omens/birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may move unseen to protect sacred order; auspicious signs accompany entry into Kāśī when dharma is being served.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, depicted as a city entered with auspicious portents.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights arrival, disguise, and auspicious signs.