Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यावदुन्मील्य नयने पुरः पश्यति स ध्रुवः । तावद्ददर्श सप्तर्षीनतर्कित गतीन्वने

Transliteration

yāvadunmīlya nayane puraḥ paśyati sa dhruvaḥ | tāvaddadarśa saptarṣīnatarkita gatīnvane

Translation

As soon as Dhruva opened his eyes and looked ahead, he beheld in the forest the Seven Rishis, moving in ways beyond ordinary imagining.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/काल-सीमावाचक-अव्यय — ‘as long as/until’

• उन्मील्य: having opened
• उन्मील्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-√मील् (मील् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive

• नयने: (his) two eyes
• नयने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन — Accusative dual

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of place

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्/√दृश् (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd sg

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name)

• तावत्: then/so long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तावत्-शब्दः, परिमाण/काल-साम्यवाचक-अव्यय — correlative ‘then/so much’

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd sg

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral) — qualifying ऋषीन्

• ऋषीन्: sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• अतर्कित: unthought-of, unexpected
• अतर्कित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तर्कित (√तर्क् धातु, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) नञ्-पूर्वक; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural (qualifying गतिन्)

• गतीन्: movements/ways
• गतीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural (used as attribute: ‘having such movements’)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

Speaker

Skanda to Agastya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣi-darśana (Saptaṛṣi-sannidhi) as a moving tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva looks forward; in the forest clearing appear seven radiant sages with matted hair and ascetic glow, moving with unearthly grace. Light filters through trees like a haloed canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Dhruva
• Saptarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a seeker turns inward and becomes ready, guidance appears—often through realized sages who embody dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a forest encounter within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates a visionary meeting with sages.