Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सप्ताश्व एकः स्वर्लोके नितरां भासतेंऽशुमान् । सदंशुकाः प्रतिदिनं बह्वश्वास्तत्पुरौकसः

Transliteration

saptāśva ekaḥ svarloke nitarāṃ bhāsateṃ'śumān | sadaṃśukāḥ pratidinaṃ bahvaśvāstatpuraukasaḥ

Translation

Au ciel, le Soleil éclatant — «celui aux sept chevaux» — brille seul ; mais les habitants de cette cité portent chaque jour des vêtements lumineux, et possèdent aussi de nombreux chevaux.

Word by Word

• सप्ताश्वः: the seven-horsed one
• सप्ताश्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (seven-horsed)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वर्लोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्लोक (प्रातिपदिक; स्वः + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• नितराम्: exceedingly
• नितराम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नितराम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• भासते: shines
• भासते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अंशुमान्: the radiant one (Sun)
• अंशुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (sun)

• सदंशुकाः: always clothed
• सदंशुकाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + अंशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ever-clothed)

• प्रतिदिनम्: every day
• प्रतिदिनम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + दिन (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• बह्वश्वाः: having many horses
• बह्वश्वाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (many-horsed)

• तत्पुरौकसः: dwellers of that city
• तत्पुरौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + पुर + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘तत्पुरे ओकसः’ (dwellers in that city)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright Kāśī avenue: citizens in shimmering clean garments (sad-aṃśuka), stables with many horses, while above in a small celestial vignette the seven-horsed Sun shines alone—contrast of singular cosmic icon vs. multiplied civic splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Aṃśumān, Saptāśva)
• Svarga (Svarloka)
• Divodāsa (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse uses the Sun’s singular glory to highlight how sacred Kāśī distributes splendor and prosperity widely among its people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the ‘city’ whose residents enjoy auspicious prosperity under righteous rule.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a mahātmya-style commendation through symbolic wealth imagery.