Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

इत्याश्चर्यं समालोक्य प्राप्तोस्म्यत्र तवांतिकम् । किमिदं पूज्यते नाथ भवता भवतापहृत्

Transliteration

ityāścaryaṃ samālokya prāptosmyatra tavāṃtikam | kimidaṃ pūjyate nātha bhavatā bhavatāpahṛt

Translation

ಈ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ನಾನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಸಮೀಪಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಹೇ ನಾಥ, ಶರಣಾಗತರ ದುಃಖವನ್ನು ಹರಣ ಮಾಡುವವನೇ! ನೀನು ಯಾರನ್ನು/ಏನನ್ನು ಪೂಜಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವೆ?

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (thus)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having observed
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु; √लोक्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; (having observed)

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु; √आप्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (having arrived)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु; √अस्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अन्तिकम्: near presence
• अन्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समीप-अर्थ (near)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what?)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (this)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु; √पूज्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is worshipped)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (by you)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (by you)

• अपहृत्: removed/took away
• अपहृत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु; √हृ, परस्मैपद)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (carried away/removed)

Speaker

Sūrya (Ravi)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied ‘atra’)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya, astonished, leans forward in reverence and asks: ‘What is worshipped by You here?’ Viṣṇu appears as the compassionate remover of suffering, serene and luminous, about to disclose a secret of the place.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Ravi)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred wonder leads to sacred inquiry—questioning with devotion opens the door to higher truths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied ‘here’; the narrative sets up the glorification of Śiva’s presence and worship in the Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it introduces the topic of whom and how the Lord worships in Kāśī.