Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कथं च कथिता देव्यै देवदेवेन षण्मुख । आविर्भूतिर्महाबुद्धे पुण्या त्रैलोचनी परा

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca kathitā devyai devadevena ṣaṇmukha | āvirbhūtirmahābuddhe puṇyā trailocanī parā

Translation

O Ṣaṇmukha, how was it narrated by the Lord of Lords to the Goddess? And, O great-minded one, how did that supremely holy manifestation of the Three-eyed Lord come to be?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कथिता: told, narrated
• कथिता: Karma (Predicate/Descriptive of कथा/आविर्भूति)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; √कथ् (धातु))
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• देव्यै: to the goddess
• देव्यै: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• देवदेवेन: by the god of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• षण्मुख: O Six-faced one (Skanda)
• षण्मुख: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (षण् मुखानि यस्य)

• आविर्भूतिः: manifestation, appearance
• आविर्भूतिः: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आविर्भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• महाबुद्धे: O great-minded one
• महाबुद्धे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् बुद्धिः यस्य)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying आविर्भूति/त्रैलोचनी)

• त्रैलोचनी: the three-eyed goddess (Trailocanī)
• त्रैलोचनी: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्याः)

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying त्रैलोचनी/आविर्भूति)

Speaker

Agastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (implied by subsequent address Ghaṭodbhava) / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage respectfully questions Skanda about how Śiva narrated to Devī the holy manifestation of Trilocana; the scene is set as a sacred discourse with Kāśī’s aura implied.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Devī (Gaurī/Pārvatī)
• Trailocana (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history is transmitted through devotion and inquiry—understanding Śiva’s manifestations and their purity is part of kṣetra-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the narrative concerns a holy Śaiva manifestation connected to the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question initiating the account of divine manifestation and its sanctity.