Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणेशः कथं दृष्टस्त्रपाकुलित चक्षुषा । किमाह देव ब्रह्माणं किमुक्तं भास्वतापि च

Transliteration

brahmaṇeśaḥ kathaṃ dṛṣṭastrapākulita cakṣuṣā | kimāha deva brahmāṇaṃ kimuktaṃ bhāsvatāpi ca

Translation

How was Brahmaṇeśa beheld, with eyes bewildered by awe and shame? What did the Lord say to Brahmā, and what was spoken also to Bhāsvat, the Sun?

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मण-ईशः: the Lord of Brahmā (Śiva)
• ब्रह्मण-ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ब्रह्मणः ईशः = lord of Brahmā; i.e., Śiva)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• दृष्टः: seen, beheld
• दृष्टः: Karta-complement (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); कर्तृविशेषण (of ब्रह्मणेशः)

• त्रपा-आकुलित-चक्षुषा: with eyes troubled by shame
• त्रपा-आकुलित-चक्षुषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रपा (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुलित (कृदन्त) + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (चक्षुस्), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-भाव: त्रपया आकुलितं चक्षुः यस्य/येन = with eyes confused by shame)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Speech/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• उक्तम्: was said
• उक्तम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (context: ‘what was said’), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used substantively)

• भास्वता: by/with Bhāsvat (the Sun)
• भास्वता: Sahakarana (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (भास्वत् = सूर्य)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A charged moment of darśana: Brahmāṇeśa is seen with eyes lowered and trembling, overwhelmed by awe and shame; the Lord addresses Brahmā, and also speaks to the radiant Sun-god.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sūrya (Bhāsvat)
• Brahmaṇeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent awe before divine manifestation is portrayed as natural; the verse prompts hearing the authoritative teaching delivered to cosmic rulers like Brahmā and Sūrya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative lead-in within the Kāśī-centered māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a set of questions requesting the next portion of the story.