Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यथा पंचनदोत्पत्तिस्तथा च कथयाम्यहम् । निशामय महाभाग मित्रावरुणनंदन

Transliteration

yathā paṃcanadotpattistathā ca kathayāmyaham | niśāmaya mahābhāga mitrāvaruṇanaṃdana

Translation

À présent, je vais dire comment naquit Pañcanada. Écoute attentivement, ô très fortuné, fils de Mitra et de Varuṇa.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• पञ्चनदोत्पत्तिः: the origin of Pañcanada
• पञ्चनदोत्पत्तिः: Karta (Topic/Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चनद + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘पञ्चनदस्य उत्पत्तिः’)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथयामि: I tell/narrate
• कथयामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• निशामय: listen/attend
• निशामय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• मित्रावरुणनन्दन: O son of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र + वरुण + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘मित्रावरुणयोः नन्दनः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vasiṣṭha (Mitra-Varuṇa-nandana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered narrator begins the Pañcanada origin tale, addressing ‘son of Mitra and Varuṇa’ (Vasiṣṭha); the setting is an āśrama near sacred waters, with disciples listening in stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcanada
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Vasiṣṭha (implied by epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māhātmya is grounded in sacred history: the tīrtha’s greatness is supported by an origin narrative meant to be heard with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada, whose ‘utpatti’ (origin) is about to be described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces śravaṇa (devotional listening) to the tīrtha’s origin as part of Māhātmya tradition.