Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यावस्तस्मै वरं दातुं बहुकालं तपस्यते । इत्युक्त्वा पार्वतीनाथो नंदिभृंगिपुरोगमः

Transliteration

yāvastasmai varaṃ dātuṃ bahukālaṃ tapasyate | ityuktvā pārvatīnātho naṃdibhṛṃgipurogamaḥ

Translation

“For a long time he has been performing tapas, seeking a boon to be granted.” Having said this, the Lord of Pārvatī, preceded by Nandin and Bhṛṅgi, set forth.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (correlative) ‘as long as/until’

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजन (purpose)

• बहुकालम्: for a long time
• बहुकालम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु-काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); कालपरिमाण (duration)

• तपस्यते: does austerity
• तपस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तपस्/तपस्य (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• पार्वतीनाथः: Lord of Pārvatī (Śiva)
• पार्वतीनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• नन्दि-भृङ्गि-पुरोगमः: preceded by Nandi and Bhṛṅgi
• नन्दि-भृङ्गि-पुरोगमः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दि + भृङ्गि + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (whose forerunners are Nandi and Bhṛṅgi)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Śiva’s intent and departure)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, Lord of Pārvatī, sets out after speaking—Nandin and Bhṛṅgi lead the way, forming a sacred procession toward Mandara’s austerity spot in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Pārvatīnātha)
• Pārvatī
• Nandin
• Bhṛṅgi
• Mandara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent tapas, aligned with dharma, culminates in divine grace; Śiva is depicted as accessible and responsive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting continues under Viśveśa’s authority, reinforcing Kāśī as the living sphere of Śiva’s direct action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is referenced as sustained austerity; no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna is detailed here.