Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । कुंभोद्भूत तदाश्चर्यं विलोक्य जगदंबिका । उवाच शंभुं प्रणता प्रणतार्तिहरं परम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | kuṃbhodbhūta tadāścaryaṃ vilokya jagadaṃbikā | uvāca śaṃbhuṃ praṇatā praṇatārtiharaṃ param

Translation

Skanda dit : Ô Kumbhodbhava (Agastya), alors Jagadambikā, voyant cet événement merveilleux, se prosterna et s’adressa à Śambhu, le Suprême qui ôte la détresse de ceux qui se réfugient en Lui.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• कुम्भोद्भूत: O one born from a pot (Agastya)
• कुम्भोद्भूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ-उद्भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• जगदम्बिका: Jagadambikā (Mother of the world)
• जगदम्बिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• शम्भुम्: to Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणता: bowed down; having prostrated
• प्रणता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) (प्रातिपदिक: प्रणत)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणतार्तिहरम्: remover of the distress of the bowed (devotees)
• प्रणतार्तिहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणत-आर्ति-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘प्रणतानाम् आर्तिं हरति’ इति

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jagadambikā (Pārvatī) beholds a wondrous event, then bows with folded hands before Śambhu; Śiva stands serene, embodying refuge and compassion, while Skanda narrates to Agastya.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Kumbhodbhava)
• Jagadambikā (Pārvatī)
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and surrender (praṇāma) before Śiva are upheld as the gateway to relief from suffering and to higher understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī’s sacred narrative continuum (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), preparing for the glorification of a specific pīṭha in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act of praṇāma (bowing/surrender) is implied as devotional practice; no formal rite is prescribed in this verse.