Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य योगिनीवृंदं तं शिशुं सूर्यवर्चसम् । पुरो निधाय मातॄणां प्रोवाच विकटोदितम्

Transliteration

praṇamya yoginīvṛṃdaṃ taṃ śiśuṃ sūryavarcasam | puro nidhāya mātṝṇāṃ provāca vikaṭoditam

Translation

ヨーギニーの輪に礼拝してから、ヴィカタは太陽のごとく輝くその幼子を母神たちの前に据え、しかるべき言葉を述べた。

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: नम्, उपसर्ग: प्र-; ‘having bowed’

• योगिनीवृन्दम्: the group of yoginīs
• योगिनीवृन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘of yoginīs’ + ‘group’)

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिशुम्: the child
• शिशुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सूर्यवर्चसम्: sun-splendid
• सूर्यवर्चसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत्-विशेषणार्थे षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘sun’ + ‘splendour’ = ‘having sun-like splendour’)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘in front/before’

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: धा, उपसर्ग: नि-; ‘having placed’

• मातॄणाम्: of the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: वच्, उपसर्ग: प्र-

• विकटोदितम्: the words spoken by Vikaṭa
• विकटोदितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकट (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √उद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (‘by Vikaṭa’ + ‘uttered/said’)

Speaker

Skanda (narration to Agastya, inferred from Kāśī Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearsome yet devoted attendant (Vikaṭa) bows to a ring of Yoginīs and presents a sun-bright child before the seated Mothers; the space feels like a nocturnal shrine-court with lamps and aura.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Mātṛs (Mother-goddesses)
• Vikaṭa
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching divine powers with reverence (praṇāma) precedes right action and right speech in sacred matters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī, where Yoginī and Mātṛ traditions are presented as spiritually potent within the Kāśī Māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights devotional etiquette—bowing and formally presenting the matter before the Mothers.