Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा हृषीकेशः सहस्रांशोरुदीरितम् । उच्चैर्माशंस सप्ताश्वं वारयन्करसंज्ञया

Transliteration

iti śrutvā hṛṣīkeśaḥ sahasrāṃśorudīritam | uccairmāśaṃsa saptāśvaṃ vārayankarasaṃjñayā

Translation

Hearing these words spoken by the thousand-rayed Sun, Hṛṣīkeśa praised him aloud and, with a gesture of His hand, gently restrained the Seven-horsed one.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle/‘thus’)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); श्रु-धातोः; ‘having heard’

• हृषीकेशः: Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• हृषीकेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सहस्रांशोः: of the thousand-rayed one (the Sun)
• सहस्रांशोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रांशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सहस्र+अंशु (सहस्रांशुः = सूर्यः)

• उदीरितम्: uttered (speech)
• उदीरितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्+ईर् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘uttered/said’

• उच्चैः: aloud
• उच्चैः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• माशंस: praised
• माशंस: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मा (अव्यय-निषेध) + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; शंस्-धातोः; ‘praised’; ‘मा’ इति निपातः (emphatic/particle)

• सप्ताश्वम्: the seven-horsed one (the Sun)
• सप्ताश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सप्त-अश्व (सप्ताश्वः = सूर्यः/सप्ताश्वरथः)

• वारयन्: restraining
• वारयन्: Karta (कर्ता; सहक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘restraining/warding off’

• करसंज्ञया: by a hand-signal
• करसंज्ञया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर-संज्ञा (hand-signal)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration within Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Hṛṣīkeśa) stands in composed majesty, praising the blazing Sūrya; with a calm hand-gesture He restrains the seven-horsed chariot, halting cosmic motion in reverence to Kāśī’s higher sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Hṛṣīkeśa)
• Sūrya (Sahasrāṃśu)
• Saptāśva (seven-horsed Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine teaching is given with kindness—praise uplifts, and gentle restraint guides the seeker toward the central truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī narrative setting continues; the verse supports the unfolding Mahātmya rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative transition into Viṣṇu’s doctrinal reply.