Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कथमेषा त्रयी स्कंद प्राप्यते नियतं नरैः । तिष्ये युगे विशेषेण नितरां चंचलेंद्रियैः

Transliteration

kathameṣā trayī skaṃda prāpyate niyataṃ naraiḥ | tiṣye yuge viśeṣeṇa nitarāṃ caṃcaleṃdriyaiḥ

Translation

ಹೇ ಸ್ಕಂದಾ! ಈ ತ್ರಯವನ್ನು ನರರು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಪಡೆಯಬಲ್ಲರು—ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ತಿಷ್ಯಯುಗದಲ್ಲಿ, ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಗಳು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಚಂಚಲವಾಗಿರುವಾಗ?

Word by Word

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• trayī: the triad (threefold)
• trayī: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• skanda: O Skanda
• skanda: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prāpyate: is attained
• prāpyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prā + āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• niyatam: certainly
• niyatam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: niyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाव (adverbial use: certainly/inevitably)

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tiṣye: in the Tiṣya (Kali) age
• tiṣye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• yuge: in the age
• yuge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: especially)

• nitarām: exceedingly
• nitarām: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitarām (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रता-वाचक-अव्यय (intensifier adverb: exceedingly)

• caṃcala-indriyaiḥ: by unsteady senses
• caṃcala-indriyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃcala (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced; questioning Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tritaya (Gaṅgā–Viśveśvara–Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee or sage with folded hands questions Skanda; behind them, Kāśī’s ghāṭas and Viśveśvara temple silhouette; visual emphasis on ‘restless senses’ via swirling motifs around the human figure, contrasted with the calm, steady triad.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī
• Gaṅgā
• Viśveśvara
• Tiṣya Yuga (Kali)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In an age of distraction, one must ask for a reliable method to reach the liberating power centered in Kāśī’s triad.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī together with Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara, treated as the core salvific triad.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet—this verse is an inquiry that sets up the forthcoming instruction.