Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

अथ सा कथयामास दनुजापहृतेः कथाम् । रत्नेश्वरं वरावाप्तिं स्वप्नावस्थां विहाय च

Transliteration

atha sā kathayāmāsa danujāpahṛteḥ kathām | ratneśvaraṃ varāvāptiṃ svapnāvasthāṃ vihāya ca

Translation

Then she related the account of the abduction by the Dānava, and she spoke of Ratneśvara—how the boon was obtained—setting aside the notion that it was merely a dream-state.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (sequence particle: ‘then’)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कथयामास: told / began to narrate
• कथयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथय्/कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (periphrastic perfect sense: ‘began to tell/told’)

• दनुजापहृतेः: of the demon’s abduction/robbery
• दनुजापहृतेः: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनुज + अपहृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दनुजस्य अपहृतिः)

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रत्नेश्वरम्: Ratneśvara
• रत्नेश्वरम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रत्नानाम् ईश्वरः/रत्नस्य ईश्वरः)

• वरावाप्तिम्: attainment of a boon
• वरावाप्तिम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + अवाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वरस्य अवाप्तिः)

• स्वप्नावस्थाम्: the dream-state
• स्वप्नावस्थाम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वप्नस्य अवस्था)

• विहाय: having abandoned/setting aside
• विहाय: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: हा (to abandon) उपसर्ग: वि-

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating a sub-story; ‘she’ speaks within it)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Companions in the narrative (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman narrator recounts a dramatic abduction by a Dānava and the subsequent boon connected to Ratneśvara; listeners attentive; the scene alternates between calm narration and vivid flashback imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Ratneśvara
• Dānava (Danuja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace at Kāśī’s sacred Śiva-sites is presented as real and transformative, not a mere dream or passing illusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara (a Śiva focus within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription appears; the verse advances the testimony-style narrative supporting Ratneśvara’s māhātmya.