Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

इति वाचं निशम्येशः परोपकृतिशालिनीम् । सुलक्षणाया नितरां तुतोष प्रणतार्तिहा

Transliteration

iti vācaṃ niśamyeśaḥ paropakṛtiśālinīm | sulakṣaṇāyā nitarāṃ tutoṣa praṇatārtihā

Translation

Hearing these words—so full of concern for others—the Lord, the remover of the distress of the surrendered, was exceedingly pleased with Sulakṣaṇā.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थ-निदर्शक (quotative particle “thus”)

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); “having heard”

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• परोपकृतिशालिनीम्: endowed with helping others
• परोपकृतिशालिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परोपकृति (प्रातिपदिक; पर-उपकृति) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वाचम्)

• सुलक्षणायाः: of Sulakṣaṇā
• सुलक्षणायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुलक्षणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नितराम्: exceedingly
• नितराम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नितरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• तुतोष: was pleased
• तुतोष: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रणतार्तिहा: destroyer of the distress of the bowed (devotees)
• प्रणतार्तिहा: Apposition (Karta-samānādhikaraṇa/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणत (कृदन्त) + आर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु) → हा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि/विशेषणरूपेण ईशस्य

Speaker

Skanda (narrator) describing Śiva’s response

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene and radiant, listens approvingly as Sulakṣaṇā speaks with compassionate resolve; Pārvatī stands nearby, attentive to the exchange.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sulakṣaṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine pleasure is especially won by selfless compassion; surrender and benevolence draw Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; the verse highlights the ethos of the kṣetra—mercy that swiftly reaches the devoted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes inner disposition—paropakāra and śaraṇāgati (surrender).