Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

इति दुर्वाससो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा देवस्त्रिलोचनः । अतीव तुषितो जातः काशीस्तवन लब्धमुत्

Transliteration

iti durvāsaso vākyaṃ śrutvā devastrilocanaḥ | atīva tuṣito jātaḥ kāśīstavana labdhamut

Translation

ದುರ್ವಾಸರ ಈ ವಚನಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ತ್ರಿನೇತ್ರ ದೇವನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸಂತುಷ್ಟನಾದನು; ಕಾಶೀಸ್ತವನರೂಪ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರವು ಅವನಿಗೆ ಲಭಿಸಿತು.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• durvāsasaḥ: of Durvāsas
• durvāsasaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.)

• vākyam: statement/words
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (Action—prior/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• devaḥ: the god (Śiva)
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• trilocanaḥ: three-eyed (one)
• trilocanaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; त्रि-लोचनः=three-eyed (masc. nom. sg.)

• atīva: exceedingly
• atīva: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अतिशयार्थे (exceedingly)

• tuṣitaḥ: pleased
• tuṣitaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• jātaḥ: became
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जातः’ = became (masc. nom. sg.)

• kāśīstavana: praise of Kāśī
• kāśīstavana: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī + stavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काशी-स्तवनम्=Kāśī-praise (neut. sg.)

• labdham: obtained
• labdham: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. sg.); ‘obtained/received’

• ut: (particle)
• ut: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ut (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/निपात; पाठभेद-सूचक (likely enclitic/particle; sense: up/utterly)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Durvāsas speaks a powerful praise of Kāśī; Śiva (Trilocana) listens, eyes softened with joy, granting inner assent as the city’s sanctity glows behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Śiva
• Trilocana
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Praise of Kāśī is itself a powerful devotional act that delights Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated through a formal stavana (hymn of praise).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stavana/stotra—devotional praise of Kāśī as a meritorious practice.