Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथ तेषूपविष्टेषु शंभुना विष्टरश्रवाः । कृतहस्तपरिस्पर्शमानः पृष्टो महादरम्

Transliteration

atha teṣūpaviṣṭeṣu śaṃbhunā viṣṭaraśravāḥ | kṛtahastaparisparśamānaḥ pṛṣṭo mahādaram

Translation

Quand tous furent assis, Viṣṭaraśravāḥ—après le toucher des mains selon l’usage de respect—fut interrogé par Śambhu avec une grande déférence.

Word by Word

• अथ: then, thereafter
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• तेषु: among them / in them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• उपविष्टेषु: (when they were) seated
• उपविष्टेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-√विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); सप्तमी बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘उपविष्ट’ = seated

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विष्टरश्रवाः: Viṣṭaraśravāḥ (one of wide renown)
• विष्टरश्रवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्टर + श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘विष्टरस्य श्रवः/श्रवाः’ = whose fame is wide)

• कृतहस्तपरिस्पर्शमानः: touching (him) with the hand (in reverence)
• कृतहस्तपरिस्पर्शमानः: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + हस्त + परि-√स्पृश् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘कृत-हस्त-परिस्पर्श’ (having made/touched with the hand) + ‘मान’ (doing)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Object of asking implied/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘asked’

• महादरम्: great respect / honor
• महादरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् आदरः’

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene assembly in Kāśī: sages seated on kuśa mats; Viṣṭaraśravāḥ performs respectful hand-touch/namaskāra; Śambhu, dignified and calm, begins questioning with affectionate regard.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Viṣṭaraśravāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with humility and proper conduct—reverent etiquette precedes sacred instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself is a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A customary gesture of reverence (respectful hand-touch/obeisance) before questioning or receiving teaching.