Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अथ नारायणो देवस्तं दृष्ट्वा दृढमानसम् । अनन्यशरणं बालं गत्वा तार्क्ष्यरथोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

atha nārāyaṇo devastaṃ dṛṣṭvā dṛḍhamānasam | ananyaśaraṇaṃ bālaṃ gatvā tārkṣyaratho'bravīt

Translation

Alors le Seigneur Nārāyaṇa, voyant l’enfant au cœur ferme et n’ayant d’autre refuge que Lui, s’approcha—monté sur Garuḍa—et parla.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (indeclinable; then/now marker)

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; नारायणस्य विशेषणरूपेण (appositional)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• दृढमानसम्: firm-minded
• दृढमानसम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तम्/बालम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनन्यशरणम्: having no other refuge
• अनन्यशरणम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बालम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (having no other refuge)

• बालम्: the boy
• बालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone (to him)
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone/approached)

• तार्क्ष्यरथः: he whose chariot is (with) Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्यरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तार्क्ष्यस्य रथः (Garuda as charioteer/vehicle)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; likely Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young ascetic absorbed in tapas; the sky parts as Nārāyaṇa arrives mounted on Garuḍa, radiance spilling over the sacred landscape; the boy’s unwavering posture contrasts with the dynamic descent of the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Dhruva
• Garuḍa (Tārkṣya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded refuge (ananya-śaraṇāgati) draws divine grace and direct encounter with the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context glorifies Kāśī overall; this verse highlights the devotional climax (darśana) rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies tapas and unwavering surrender as the spiritual discipline.