Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

इति स्तुत्वा विधिं देवा निपेतुर्दंडवत्क्षितौ । परितुष्टस्तदा ब्रह्मा प्रत्युवाच दिवौकसः

Transliteration

iti stutvā vidhiṃ devā nipeturdaṃḍavatkṣitau | parituṣṭastadā brahmā pratyuvāca divaukasaḥ

Translation

Having thus praised Vidhī (Brahmā), the gods fell upon the ground like a staff in prostration. Then Brahmā, well pleased, replied to the dwellers of heaven.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• विधिम्: Brahmā/the Ordainer
• विधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निपेतुः: fell down
• निपेतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दण्डवत्: like a staff; fully prostrate
• दण्डवत्: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: like a staff; prostrate)

• क्षितौ: on the ground
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• परितुष्टः: fully pleased
• परितुष्टः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-तुष् (धातु) + परितुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ब्रह्मा)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उप-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दिवौकसः: O dwellers of heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-बहुवचनरूप (Vocative/Nominative plural form); अत्र सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing the gods)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogue tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of devas completes the hymn and falls flat like staffs upon the earth; Brahmā sits serene, pleased, ready to speak; the moment is charged with quiet reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Vidhī)
• Devas
• Divaukasaḥ (celestials)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and wholehearted praise (stuti) culminate in divine satisfaction and a gracious response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, whose larger purpose is Kāśī-māhātmya; this verse itself is narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-pranāma (full prostration) is described as an act of reverence.