Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । उक्ता पंचनदोत्पत्तिर्मित्रावरुणनंदन । इदानीं कथयिष्यामि माधवाविष्कृतिं पराम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | uktā paṃcanadotpattirmitrāvaruṇanaṃdana | idānīṃ kathayiṣyāmi mādhavāviṣkṛtiṃ parām

Translation

Skanda dit : Ô fils de Mitra et de Varuṇa, j’ai exposé l’origine de Pañcanada ; maintenant je vais raconter la manifestation suprême de Mādhava (Viṣṇu) à Kāśī.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• उक्ता: has been told
• उक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वृत्त्या) ‘उत्पत्तिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पञ्चनदोत्पत्तिः: the origin of the five rivers
• पञ्चनदोत्पत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चनद (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चनदानाम् उत्पत्तिः)

• मित्रावरुणनन्दन: O son of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रावरुणयोः नन्दनः)

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कथयिष्यामि: I will narrate
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माधवाविष्कृतिम्: the manifestation of Mādhava
• माधवाविष्कृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माधवस्य आविष्कृतिः)

• पराम्: supreme, excellent
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आविष्कृतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual) / Pañcanada (as prior topic) leading to Mādhava-āvirbhāva

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Mitrāvaruṇanandana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda begins a new episode, addressing the sage (son of Mitra and Varuṇa) and announcing the forthcoming account of Mādhava’s supreme manifestation in Kāśī; a calm narrative setting with sacred ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Pañcanada
• Mādhava
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After establishing a tīrtha’s origin, the Purāṇa elevates devotion by revealing the deity’s special manifestation connected to that sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the lead-in to Mādhava’s manifestation there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition into the Mādhava-māhātmya.