Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89
स्वदेहादनपायिन्यौ छायाकांती यथा तया । ते द्वे सख्यावभूतांहि रत्नावल्या घटोद्भव
svadehādanapāyinyau chāyākāṃtī yathā tayā | te dve sakhyāvabhūtāṃhi ratnāvalyā ghaṭodbhava
Sans jamais se séparer d’elle — comme l’ombre et l’éclat — ces deux-là devinrent les compagnes intimes de Ratnāvalī, ô Né-du-Vase (Agastya).
Skanda (deduced; addressing Agastya explicitly as Ghaṭodbhava)
Listener: Agastya (ghaṭodbhava)
Scene: Two companions stand so close to Ratnāvalī that they appear like her shadow and her glow—one rendered in slightly darker tones (shadow), the other with a luminous aura (radiance).
FAQs
The verse praises unwavering support for a devotee’s path—true companions remain inseparable in dharma like shadow and light.
The ongoing context is Kāśī, the supreme sacred city celebrated throughout the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.
None in this verse; it strengthens the narrative frame by addressing Agastya and emphasizing devotion’s support system.