Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अगमन्मम दक्षजा वियोगजो दवथुः प्राग्घिमवत्सुतौषधेन । अधुना खलु नैव शांतिमीयां यदि काशीं न विलोकयेहमाशु

Transliteration

agamanmama dakṣajā viyogajo davathuḥ prāgghimavatsutauṣadhena | adhunā khalu naiva śāṃtimīyāṃ yadi kāśīṃ na vilokayehamāśu

Translation

Autrefois, la fièvre née de la séparation d’avec la fille de Dakṣa fut apaisée par le remède qu’est la fille de l’Himālaya. Mais à présent, vraiment, je ne trouverai point la paix si je ne contemple vite Kāśī.

Word by Word

• अगमत्: went away / departed
• अगमत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सन्ध्यन्तरूपम्: अगमन् (अगमत्)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• दक्षजा: Dakṣa’s daughter
• दक्षजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (दक्षात् जाता)

• वियोगजः: born of separation
• वियोगजः: Visheshana (Qualifier of दवथुः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वियोग + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (वियोगात् जातः)

• दवथुः: burning fever/anguish
• दवथुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दवथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राक्: formerly
• प्राक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• हिमवत्सुता-औषधेन: by the herb of Himālaya’s daughter
• हिमवत्सुता-औषधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्सुता + औषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (हिमवत्सुतायाः औषधम्)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (now)

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: at all / indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (restrictive particle: ‘only/just’)

• शान्तिम्: peace
• शान्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ईयाम्: may I attain
• ईयाम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः ‘प्राप्नुयाम्/गच्छेयम्’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विलोकये: may I see
• विलोकये: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः ‘पश्येयम्’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (quickly)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s audience within the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A healing metaphor: Pārvatī as medicine that once cooled the fever of Satī-separation; now the only cure is swift beholding of Kāśī—depict a journey-impulse toward the luminous city.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Satī
• Pārvatī
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly consolations may soothe certain griefs, but ultimate peace is portrayed as arising from direct encounter with the supreme sacred field—Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, emphasized as the indispensable sight (darśana) without which peace cannot be attained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, kāśī-darśana (going to see Kāśī) is presented as the remedy; no formal vrata/dāna is specified in this verse.