Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

पृष्टस्त्वमिति ते नाथ तदा वृद्ध तपस्विना । कथयिष्यस्यहं राजा वृद्धकाल इति श्रुतः

Transliteration

pṛṣṭastvamiti te nātha tadā vṛddha tapasvinā | kathayiṣyasyahaṃ rājā vṛddhakāla iti śrutaḥ

Translation

O Lord, thus questioned by that aged ascetic, you will reply: “I am a king, renowned by the name Vṛddhakāla.”

Word by Word

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘asked’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इति: thus / saying
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• वृद्ध: O old man
• वृद्ध: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (सम्बोधनरूपेण)

• तपस्विना: by the ascetic
• तपस्विना: Kartr (Agent in passive)/Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• कथयिष्यसि: you will tell
• कथयिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वृद्धकालः: (one named) Vṛddhakāla / ‘Old-time’
• वृद्धकालः: Karta-predicative (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध + काल (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृद्धस्य कालः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• श्रुतः: is heard/known (as)
• श्रुतः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘heard/known as’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; forecasting the reply in narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame) / the ascetic within episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim reveals himself as a king named Vṛddhakāla before an aged ascetic; the moment is a narrative pivot—royal bearing softened by devotion in the temple’s shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhakāla (king)
• Tapasvin (aged ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred Kāśī brings together royal duty and ascetic wisdom, beginning with humility and truthful self-identification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the stage for the king’s encounter and the forthcoming shrine-legend.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the protagonist (King Vṛddhakāla) within the tīrtha narrative.