Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

उड्डीय गिरिमाश्रित्यच्छन्नः कौतुकमैक्षत । ब्राह्मणान्प्रमथा नत्वा यातयातेतिचाब्रुवन्

Transliteration

uḍḍīya girimāśrityacchannaḥ kautukamaikṣata | brāhmaṇānpramathā natvā yātayāteticābruvan

Translation

S’envolant et prenant refuge sur une montagne, il se cacha et observa le spectacle. Les Pramatha, s’inclinant devant les brāhmaṇa, dirent : «Allez, allez !»

Word by Word

• उड्डीय: having flown up
• उड्डीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + डी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• गिरिम्: mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc. accusative singular)

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• छन्नः: hidden, covered
• छन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc. nominative singular)

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neut. accusative singular)

• ऐक्षत: he saw, he looked
• ऐक्षत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (masc. accusative plural)

• प्रमथाः: the Pramathas
• प्रमथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural)

• नत्वा: having bowed to
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• यात: go!
• यात: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• यात: go! (repeated)
• यात: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपातः (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra in peahen form flies to a nearby mountain, perches hidden among rocks/foliage, watching the sacrificial chaos below. Pramathas, with folded hands, bow theatrically to brāhmaṇas and shout ‘yātayāta’—a taunting encouragement to continue.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Brāhmaṇas
• mountain (giri)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid wrathful cosmic correction, dharma is shown by honoring Brāhmaṇas; respect for sacred roles is not abandoned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered narration, though this line itself is not naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the implied norm is brāhmaṇa-satkāra (reverence to Brāhmaṇas).