Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नेत्रयोः प्राघुणी चक्रे ततः सप्तर्षिमंडलम् । व्रजन्स वैष्णवं लोकमंते विष्णुपुरीक्षणात्

Transliteration

netrayoḥ prāghuṇī cakre tataḥ saptarṣimaṃḍalam | vrajansa vaiṣṇavaṃ lokamaṃte viṣṇupurīkṣaṇāt

Translation

Sous ses propres yeux, il contempla la sphère des Sept Ṛṣis ; puis, poursuivant sa route, il atteignit enfin le monde vaiṣṇava, par la vision de la cité de Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• नेत्रयोः: of (his) two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• प्राघुणी: hospitality/guest-offering
• प्राघुणी: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राघुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चक्रे: performed/made
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): क्रम/अनन्तर (thereafter)

• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: the constellation/circle of the Seven Sages
• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सप्तानाम् ऋषीणां मण्डलम्)

• व्रजन्: going
• व्रजन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying लोकम्)

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (in the end)

• विष्णुपुरीक्षणात्: because of seeing Viṣṇu’s city
• विष्णुपुरीक्षणात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + पुरी + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णुपुर्याः ईक्षणम्) तस्मात्

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration from Adhyāya 18)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupurī (visionary)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage audience within the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarmā beholds the Saptarṣi constellation as a radiant mandala before his eyes; then a luminous gateway-city of Viṣṇu appears, drawing him onward into a serene, blue-gold Vaiṣṇava realm.

Characters & Entities

• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala (Seven Sages)
• Vaiṣṇava-loka
• Viṣṇupurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and merit are depicted as granting higher vision—moving the devotee from worldly horizons to cosmic and divine realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references Viṣṇupurī (Viṣṇu’s city) and the Vaiṣṇava realm; it remains situated within the broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the focus is on visionary attainment and onward passage.