Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एका च नृत्यकुशला त्वन्या गानविशारदा । अपरा वेणुवादज्ञा परा वीणाधराभवत्

Transliteration

ekā ca nṛtyakuśalā tvanyā gānaviśāradā | aparā veṇuvādajñā parā vīṇādharābhavat

Translation

L’une excellait dans la danse ; une autre était accomplie dans le chant. L’une connaissait l’art de la flûte, tandis qu’une autre devint porteuse et joueuse de la vīṇā.

Word by Word

• एका: one (woman)
• एका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्याशब्द-प्रयोगः (as pronoun-like numeral)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नृत्यकुशला: skilled in dancing
• नृत्यकुशला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: but/whereas
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अन्या: another (woman)
• अन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गानविशारदा: expert in singing
• गानविशारदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अपरा: yet another (woman)
• अपरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वेणुवादज्ञा: knowing flute-playing
• वेणुवादज्ञा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेणु + वाद + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• परा: another (woman)
• परा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वीणाधरा: a vīṇā-holder (lute-player)
• वीणाधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभवत्: was/became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Kāśī ghāṭa at dusk: a dancer in graceful pose, a singer with hand-gesture, a flautist, and a vīṇā-player seated near a small Śiva shrine; lamps, incense, and river glow behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred Kāśī is portrayed as a place where refined arts flourish, suggesting that beauty and skill can harmonize with dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the overarching holy kṣetra; no individual tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse catalogs artistic skills.