Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कार्तिकेय उवाच । क्षेमोस्ति कुंभज मुने त्रिदशैकसहायकृत् । जाने त्वामिह संप्राप्तं तथा विंध्याचलोन्नतिम्

Transliteration

kārtikeya uvāca | kṣemosti kuṃbhaja mune tridaśaikasahāyakṛt | jāne tvāmiha saṃprāptaṃ tathā viṃdhyācalonnatim

Translation

Kārtikeya dit : « Paix et prospérité à toi, ô sage né de la jarre. Je sais que tu es venu ici après avoir secouru les dieux, et je connais aussi l’affaire de l’élévation du mont Vindhya. »

Word by Word

• kārtikeyaḥ: Kārtikeya
• kārtikeyaḥ: Karta (speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kṣemaḥ: well-being; safety
• kṣemaḥ: Karta (of 'asti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kuṃbhaja: O pot-born one (Agastya)
• kuṃbhaja: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (√jan धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (kuṃbhāt jātaḥ: born from a pot), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tridaśa-eka-sahāya-kṛt: (he) who made you the sole helper of the gods
• tridaśa-eka-sahāya-kṛt: Karta (appositional epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + sahāya (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (√kṛ धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; kṛt (कर्तृवाचक कृदन्त: 'maker/doer')—'one who made (you) the sole helper of the gods' इति विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (कārtikeyasya विशेषण)

• jāne: I know
• jāne: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (object of 'jāne')
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (here)

• saṃprāptam: arrived; having come
• saṃprāptam: Karman (object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√prāp (प्राप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; tvām इति कर्मणि विशेषण (you who have arrived)

• tathā: and also; likewise
• tathā: Kriya-viseshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (so; likewise)

• viṃdhya-acala-unnatim: the rising/elevation of the Vindhya mountain
• viṃdhya-acala-unnatim: Karman (object of 'jāne' understood)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃdhya (प्रातिपदिक) + acala (प्रातिपदिक) + unnati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (viṃdhyasya acalasya unnatiḥ: the rise of the Vindhya mountain), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (unnati), द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kārtikeya (Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārtikeya speaks with calm authority, blessing the pot-born sage (Agastya). The scene hints at distant Vindhya mountains swelling upward, while devas’ gratitude and cosmic order are implied. The sage stands respectfully, then prepares to sit.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Agastya (Kuṃbhaja)
• Devas (Tridaśas)
• Vindhyācala (Vindhya Mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine omniscience recognizes sincere dharmic service; the gods honor those who protect cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reinforcing Kāśī as a sacred meeting-ground for sages and deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is stated in this verse; it initiates a dialogue tied to dharmic events (Vindhya episode).