Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । किं चकार हरः स्कंद मंदराद्रिगतस्तदा । विलंबमालंबयति तस्मिन्नपि गजानने

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | kiṃ cakāra haraḥ skaṃda maṃdarādrigatastadā | vilaṃbamālaṃbayati tasminnapi gajānane

Translation

Agastya dit : «Ô Skanda, que fit alors Hara (Śiva), lorsqu’il se rendit au mont Mandara, tandis que Celui au visage d’éléphant (Gaṇeśa) tardait encore ?»

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• चकार: did
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• स्कन्द: O Skanda
• स्कन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• मन्दराद्रिगतः: gone to Mount Mandara
• मन्दराद्रिगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दर + अद्रि + गत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (मन्दराद्रौ गतः); क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• विलम्बम्: delay
• विलम्बम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• आलम्बयति: causes/undertakes (a delay)
• आलम्बयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• गजानने: in/with Gajānana (Gaṇeśa)
• गजानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः बहुव्रीहि (गजाननः यस्य सः—गणेशः); अधिकरण

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarādri (Mandara mountain)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, seated in a hermitage setting, asks Skanda about Śiva’s actions after going to Mount Mandara, while Gaṇeśa delays—an anticipatory dialogue scene with Mandara looming in the mind’s eye.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda
• Hara (Śiva)
• Mandara mountain
• Gaṇeśa (Gajānana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames a dhārmic inquiry: understanding divine actions behind apparent delays, especially where Gaṇeśa (lord of obstacles) is involved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context remains primary; Mandara is mentioned as a sacred mountain setting within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question initiating the next teaching.