Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । द्विजवर्यो भवानेकः प्रतिभातीति निश्चितम् । यथातत्त्ववती ते धीर्न तथान्यस्य मे मतिः

Transliteration

rājovāca | dvijavaryo bhavānekaḥ pratibhātīti niścitam | yathātattvavatī te dhīrna tathānyasya me matiḥ

Translation

The King said: “O best of twice-born ones, it is certain to me that you alone are truly discerning. Your intellect is grounded in reality as it is; I do not hold such an opinion about anyone else.”

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्विजवर्यः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजवर्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रशंसावाचकः

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• एकः: alone/unique
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भवान्)

• प्रतिभाति: appears/seems
• प्रतिभाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• निश्चितम्: is certain/decided
• निश्चितम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-चित् (धातु) → निश्चित (कृदन्त/कृत)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (अस्ति-लोपे)

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (as/according as)

• तत्त्ववतī: true/according to reality
• तत्त्ववतī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) → तत्त्ववत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धीः)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धीः: intellect/understanding
• धीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/in that way)

• अन्यस्य: of another (person)
• अन्यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मतिः: opinion/thought
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (vipra), addressed as dvijavarya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, hands folded, addresses a serene brāhmaṇa-sage seated calmly, indicating the start of a sacred discourse in Kāśī’s atmosphere.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment (tattva-jñāna) is honored, and humility before wise brāhmaṇas is upheld as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is part of a dialogue rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse.