Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स्कंदे विसर्जितध्याने सुप्रसन्नमनोमुखे । प्रतीक्ष्य वागवसरं पप्रच्छाथ मुनिर्गुहम्

Transliteration

skaṃde visarjitadhyāne suprasannamanomukhe | pratīkṣya vāgavasaraṃ papracchātha munirguham

Translation

Lorsque Skanda eut achevé sa méditation et que son visage et son esprit furent pleinement sereins, le sage—attendant l’instant favorable pour parler—interrogea alors Guha.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दे: when/with Skanda (in Skanda)
• स्कन्दे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• विसर्जित-ध्याने: (in him) whose meditation was released/ended
• विसर्जित-ध्याने: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of स्कन्दे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विसर्जित (√सृज्/विसृज्, क्त) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयवत्): 'विसर्जितं ध्यानं यस्मिन्' / 'whose meditation had ceased'

• सुप्रसन्न-मनोमुखे: with very serene mind and face
• सुप्रसन्न-मनोमुखे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of स्कन्दे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: 'सुप्रसन्नं मनोमुखं यस्य' (with very serene mind and face)

• प्रतीक्ष्य: having waited
• प्रतीक्ष्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); having waited/after waiting

• वाक्-अवसरम्: an opportunity to speak
• वाक्-अवसरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): 'वाचः अवसरः' (opportunity for speech)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular perfect

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/adverb); then/thereupon

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• गुहम्: Guha
• गुहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda ends meditation; his face is serene. Agastya, composed and respectful, waits for the opening in speech and then begins his question.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Guha)
• Agastya (the sage; implied by ensuing speech)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is approached with timing, reverence, and mental purity—one asks after the teacher becomes inwardly settled.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta/Kāśī is the implied focus, as the sage prepares to ask about its greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes proper conduct (vinaya) in receiving purāṇic instruction.