Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ततो गुप्तं समागम्य विष्णुर्व्यासमभाषत । अपराद्धं महच्चात्र भवता व्यास निश्चितम्

Transliteration

tato guptaṃ samāgamya viṣṇurvyāsamabhāṣata | aparāddhaṃ mahaccātra bhavatā vyāsa niścitam

Translation

Puis Viṣṇu vint invisiblement et dit à Vyāsa : «Ô Vyāsa, ici tu as assurément commis une grave offense.»

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘then/thereafter’

• guptam: secretly
• guptam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त; √gup ‘गोपने’ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘hidden/secret’ (क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयुक्तम्)

• samāgamya: having approached
• samāgamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (सम्+आ+गम् ‘गत्यर्थे’ धातु)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund) — ‘having approached/met’

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• vyāsam: Vyāsa
• vyāsam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• abhāṣata: spoke (to)
• abhāṣata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√bhāṣ (अभि+भाष् ‘वचने’ धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘spoke/addressed’

• aparāddham: an offence (has been) committed
• aparāddham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aparāddha (कृदन्त; √rādh/√rādh? ‘अपराधे’ धातु-प्रयोग; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘committed an offence/erred’

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘great’ (aparāddham इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction ‘and’

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘here/in this matter’

• bhavatā: by you
• bhavatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन — ‘by you’ (आदरार्थ)

• vyāsa: O Vyāsa
• vyāsa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन

• niścitam: has been determined/decided
• niścitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√ci (नि+चि ‘चयन/निश्चये’ धातु) + kta; niścita (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — ‘decided/ascertained’ (कर्मणि/भावे; ‘has been determined’)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within the frame (sages/seekers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sacred precincts of Kāśī, Viṣṇu appears invisibly—suggested by a faint aura or unseen presence—addressing Vyāsa with solemn admonition about a grave offence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a realized sage must remain aligned with the highest truth of the sacred context; divine beings correct error to protect dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where doctrinal clarity about the Lord of the kṣetra is upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it is a direct admonition initiating theological instruction.