Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अहो यादृगसौ विप्रः सर्वत्रातिविचक्षणः । सुशीलश्च सुरूपश्च सत्यवाङ्मितभाषणः

Transliteration

aho yādṛgasau vipraḥ sarvatrātivicakṣaṇaḥ | suśīlaśca surūpaśca satyavāṅmitabhāṣaṇaḥ

Translation

「ああ、なんと見事なバラモンであろう。あらゆる事にきわめて洞察深く、品行は柔和で姿も端正。真実を語り、言葉は節度にかなっている。」

Word by Word

• अहो: oh! indeed
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (interjection/particle of exclamation)

• यादृक्: what kind of
• यादृक्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine nominative singular; adjective)

• असौ: this (that) person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• विप्रः: brahmin, learned man
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'everywhere')

• अतिविचक्षणः: very discerning, highly intelligent
• अतिविचक्षणः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (intensifying: 'very discerning')

• सुशीलः: well-mannered
• सुशीलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय ('good-natured')

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

• सुरूपः: handsome, of good form
• सुरूपः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय ('handsome')

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

• सत्यवाक्: truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: 'truth-speech')

• मितभाषणः: moderate-spoken
• मितभाषणः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित (कृदन्त; √मा (माने/मितौ) क्त) + भाषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय ('measured in speech')

Speaker

Kāśī narrative voice (Uttarārdha context; traditionally Skanda addressing Agastya in Kāśī-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker (narrator) marvels at a distinguished brāhmaṇa in Kāśī—composed posture, serene face, and restrained, truthful speech amid a sacred city backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is recognized through character—truthful, restrained speech and refined conduct are marks of inner purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on virtues rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse praises ethical disciplines (truthfulness and measured speech) rather than a specific rite.