Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पुरा वेदशिरा नाम मुनिरासीन्महातपाः । भृगुवंश समुत्पन्नो मूर्तो वेद इवापरः

Transliteration

purā vedaśirā nāma munirāsīnmahātapāḥ | bhṛguvaṃśa samutpanno mūrto veda ivāparaḥ

Translation

Long ago there was a sage named Vedaśiras, mighty in austerities—born in the lineage of Bhṛgu—like a second Veda embodied.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वेदशिराः: Vedaśiras (name)
• वेदशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘वेदस्य शिरः’)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeclinable), नामनिर्देशार्थक

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण of मुनिः/वेदशिराः

• भृगुवंश: from the lineage of Bhṛgu
• भृगुवंश: Apadana (Source/Lineage/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘भृगोः वंशः’); पञ्चमी (5th case/ablative) एकवचन अपेक्षितः—अर्थे ‘भृगुवंशात्’ (पाठे पञ्चमी-लोप/छन्दसि)

• समुत्पन्नः: born/arisen
• समुत्पन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + पद् (धातु) → समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• मूर्तः: embodied
• मूर्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from √मूर्च्/मूर्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• वेदः: the Veda
• वेदः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• अपरः: another/second
• अपरः: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Characters & Entities

• Vedaśiras
• Bhṛgu
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya is linked with the lives of great ṛṣis: purity of place is intertwined with purity of tapas and Vedic character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Pañcanada, through the opening of its origin narrative involving the sage Vedaśiras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse establishes the authority of the narrative by introducing a Veda-like sage.