Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । महानंदो द्विजो नाम भविष्योत्र चतुर्भुज । अग्रवेदीसमाचारस्त्यक्ततीर्थप्रतिग्रहः

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | mahānaṃdo dvijo nāma bhaviṣyotra caturbhuja | agravedīsamācārastyaktatīrthapratigrahaḥ

Translation

Devadeva dit : « Ô Caturbhuja, en ce lieu s’élèvera dans l’avenir un brāhmaṇa nommé Mahānanda, qui suit la conduite de la plus haute discipline védique et a renoncé à accepter des dons liés aux tīrthas. »

Word by Word

• deva-devaḥ: God of gods
• deva-devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (देवानां देवः)

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

• mahānandaḥ: Mahānanda (name)
• mahānandaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dvijaḥ: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• dvijaḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; जातिवाचक

• nāma: named
• nāma: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशक निपात (particle indicating name)

• bhaviṣyaḥ: will be, future
• bhaviṣyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhū (भू धातु) + ya (यत्/य प्रत्यय; भविष्यत्-विशेषण)
• Form: कृदन्त/विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भविष्यत्-अर्थे (future)

• utra: there, in that context
• utra: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: utra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb: there/then)

• caturbhuja: O four-armed one
• caturbhuja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (चत्वारो भुजाः यस्य सः)

• agravedī-samācāraḥ: one whose conduct is (according to) the Agra-vedī tradition
• agravedī-samācāraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agravedī (प्रातिपदिक) + samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्रवेदी-समाचारः = अग्रवेदी-सम्बद्ध आचारः)

• tyakta-tīrtha-pratigrahaḥ: one who has abandoned accepting gifts/fees at tīrthas
• tyakta-tīrtha-pratigrahaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (त्यज् धातु + क्त) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + pratigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तīrtha-pratigrahaṃ tyaktaḥ)

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Caturbhuja (four-armed interlocutor, likely Hari/Vishnu in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devadeva speaks to Caturbhuja, foretelling the birth of Mahānanda, a disciplined brāhmaṇa. The setting suggests a Kāśī pavilion; Mahānanda is envisioned with calm face, simple attire, Vedic implements, and a gesture of refusal toward transactional gifts.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Caturbhuja (epithet of Hari/Viṣṇu)
• Mahānanda (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma is marked by disciplined conduct and restraint—especially regarding wealth and religious transactions at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī kṣetra setting is implied; the verse introduces a future narrative connected to Kāśī’s sacred precincts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ethical restraint is implied: renouncing ‘tīrtha-pratigraha’—accepting gifts tied to tīrtha contexts.