Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवदेवः कृपानिधिः । प्रोवाच प्रहसञ्छंभुर्घटोद्भव गजासुरम्

Transliteration

iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā devadevaḥ kṛpānidhiḥ | provāca prahasañchaṃbhurghaṭodbhava gajāsuram

Translation

Entendant ses paroles, le Dieu des dieux—Śambhu, trésor de compassion—sourit et s’adressa à Gajāsura, celui qui naquit du pot (ghaṭa).

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative/thus)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• देवदेवः: Lord of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• कृपानिधिः: treasure of compassion
• कृपानिधिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृपायाः निधिः)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रहसन्: smiling
• प्रहसन्: Kriya (Participial modifier/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभाव (while smiling)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• घटोद्भव: O pot-born (Agastya)
• घटोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (घटात् उद्भवः)

• गजासुरम्: Gajāsura
• गजासुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (गजः इव असुरः/गज-नामकः असुरः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśī Khaṇḍa narration, traditionally Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rṣi/śaunaka-style frame typical; specific interlocutors not in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the luminous ambience of Kāśī, Śambhu—serene yet majestic—smiles gently as he addresses Gajāsura, setting a compassionate tone before granting a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva, Śambhu)
• Gajāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s compassion responds to sincerity; divine grace can arise immediately after repentance and truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting continues to magnify Kāśī as the field of Śiva’s compassionate interventions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse marks the narrative pivot to the granting of a boon.