Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा पुरः श्रीदपत्न्याः श्रीमुख्या ब्रह्मसूनुना । नारदेन सुतार्थिन्या व्रतमेतदुदीरितम्

Transliteration

purā puraḥ śrīdapatnyāḥ śrīmukhyā brahmasūnunā | nāradena sutārthinyā vratametadudīritam

Translation

In former times, this observance was taught by Nārada—the son of Brahmā—to Śrī, the foremost consort of Śrī (Viṣṇu), when she sought the boon of a son.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly/once)

• पुरः: in front (of), before
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverb/preposition: in front; ‘before’), मूलम् ‘पुरस्’

• श्रीदपत्न्याः: of Śrīdā’s wife
• श्रीदपत्न्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीदा (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘श्रीदायाः पत्नी’)

• श्रीमुख्या: the illustrious chief lady
• श्रीमुख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘श्रीमान्/शोभना मुख्या’)

• ब्रह्मसूनुना: by the son of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मसूनुना: Sahakari/Instrument (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘ब्रह्मणः सूनु’)

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Sahakari/Instrument (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• सुतार्थिन्या: by (her) desiring a son
• सुतार्थिन्या: Sahakari/Instrument (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘सुतम् अर्थयते/इच्छति’ = desiring a son)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• उदीरितम्: was declared/uttered
• उदीरितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु) → उदीरित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उद्+ईर्’ (to utter/declare)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Nārada, veena in hand, instructs Śrī (Lakṣmī) seated beside Viṣṇu, conveying a vrata for putra-prāpti; a subtle Kāśī aura—ghats or a liṅga silhouette—frames the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic vow (vrata), taught by a realized sage, becomes a sanctified means to seek righteous aims—here, progeny—through devotion and disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where vratas and worship are framed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse introduces the vrata’s authoritative origin (Nārada’s instruction); the detailed ritual steps follow in subsequent verses.