Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । निशामय महाभाग त्वं मैत्रावरुणे मुने । पाराशर्यो मुनिवरो यथा मोहमुपैष्यति

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | niśāmaya mahābhāga tvaṃ maitrāvaruṇe mune | pārāśaryo munivaro yathā mohamupaiṣyati

Translation

Skanda dit : Écoute avec attention, ô sage noble Maitrāvaruṇa (Agastya). Entends comment l’éminent ṛṣi Pārāśarya (Vyāsa) en viendra à éprouver l’illusion (moha).

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• निशामय: pay attention/listen
• निशामय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; causative sense ‘make (your mind) attend’

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मैत्रावरुणे: O Maitrāvaruṇa (son of Mitra and Varuṇa)
• मैत्रावरुणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रावरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; patronymic/epithet of Agastya

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पाराशर्यः: Pārāśarya (Vyāsa)
• पाराशर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराशर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; patronymic ‘son of Parāśara’ (Vyāsa)

• मुनिवरः: the best of sages
• मुनिवरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां वरः)

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (how/as)

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपैष्यति: will approach/enter into
• उपैष्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Maitrāvaruṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda speaks gravely to Agastya; in a secondary vignette, Vyāsa appears momentarily clouded by a dark veil (moha) while a Śiva-liṅga’s light dispels it—symbolizing delusion and its remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Maitrāvaruṇa)
• Vyāsa (Pārāśarya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great sages may face moha; Purāṇic narration teaches discernment and the corrective power of sacred instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is narrative setup; the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context continues to foreground Kāśī’s sacred power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an upcoming episode involving Vyāsa.