Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । कस्य लोकोयमतुलो ब्रूतं श्रीभगवद्गणौ । पीयूषभानोरिव मे मनः प्रीणयतेतराम्

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | kasya lokoyamatulo brūtaṃ śrībhagavadgaṇau | pīyūṣabhānoriva me manaḥ prīṇayatetarām

Translation

Śivaśarman said: O venerable Gaṇas of the Blessed Lord, tell me—whose incomparable world is this? My mind is delighted exceedingly, as though by the moon of amṛta.

Word by Word

• śivaśarmā: Śivaśarman
• śivaśarmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaśarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• lokaḥ: world
• lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣya (that which is qualified)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• atulaḥ: incomparable
• atulaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• brūtam: tell (you two)
• brūtam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• śrī-bhagavad-gaṇau: O two venerable divine attendants
• śrī-bhagavad-gaṇau: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन (8th/Vocative), द्विवचन (Dual); समासः—कर्मधारयः (honorific descriptive)

• pīyūṣa-bhānoḥ: of the nectar-like sun
• pīyūṣa-bhānoḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• iva: like
• iva: Comparison marker (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prīṇayate: is delighted
• prīṇayate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prī (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); causative sense not marked here; simple present ‘is pleased’

• itarām: exceedingly, very much
• itarām: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative used as intensifier)

Speaker

Śivaśarman

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Two gaṇas of the Blessed Lord

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarman, eyes wide with wonder, addresses two radiant gaṇas; behind them a luminous, cool-toned celestial landscape evoking the ‘nectar-moon’ metaphor.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• Bhagavad-gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (praśna) is honored in Purāṇic discourse; eagerness to know sacred truths itself purifies the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative stream; the immediate focus is the identity of a divine realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue prompt inviting the forthcoming teaching.