Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

प्राप्य वाराणसीं तूर्णमाशु स्यंदनगो विभुः । वाडवीं मूर्तिमालंब्य प्राविशच्छकुनैः स्तुतः

Transliteration

prāpya vārāṇasīṃ tūrṇamāśu syaṃdanago vibhuḥ | vāḍavīṃ mūrtimālaṃbya prāviśacchakunaiḥ stutaḥ

Translation

ពេលបានដល់វារាណសីយ៉ាងរហ័ស ព្រះអង្គដ៏មានអានុភាពជិះរទេះ បានយករូបវាឌវី (សេះមេ) ហើយចូលទៅក្នុងទីក្រុង ដោយមានសត្វបក្សីជានិមិត្តមង្គលសរសើរ។

Word by Word

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra-; prāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; ‘having reached’

• vārāṇasīm: Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tūrṇam: quickly
• tūrṇam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• āśu: swiftly
• āśu: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• syaṃdanagaḥ: chariot-rider
• syaṃdanagaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: syaṃdana (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘syaṃdane gaḥ’ = one who goes in a chariot

• vibhuḥ: the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• vāḍavīm: the mare-form (vāḍavī)
• vāḍavīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāḍavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• mūrtim: form
• mūrtim: Karma (Object of gerund)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• ālaṃbya: having assumed
• ālaṃbya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Verb
• Root: √laṃb (धातु) + ā-; ālaṃbya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; ‘having assumed/taken support of’

• prāviśat: entered
• prāviśat: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु) + pra-
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist/लुङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• śakunaiḥ: by birds/omens
• śakunaiḥ: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakuni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• stutaḥ: praised
• stutaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stu (धातु); stuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; agrees with subject

Speaker

Skanda (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure arrives at Kāśī in a chariot, then assumes a mare-form at the city’s edge; birds circle overhead as auspicious omens while the city’s ghāṭas and spires appear in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Gaṇeśa
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Śakuna (omens/birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may move unseen to protect sacred order; auspicious signs accompany entry into Kāśī when dharma is being served.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, depicted as a city entered with auspicious portents.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights arrival, disguise, and auspicious signs.