Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । शृणुष्व मैत्रावरुणे पुराकल्पे रथंतरे । इतिहास इहासीद्यः पीठे विरजसंज्ञिते

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | śṛṇuṣva maitrāvaruṇe purākalpe rathaṃtare | itihāsa ihāsīdyaḥ pīṭhe virajasaṃjñite

Translation

ສະກັນດະກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ໄມຕຣາວະຣຸນ ຈົ່ງຟັງ. ໃນການກ່ອນ ໃນກັລປະຣະທັນຕະຣະ ມີຕຳນານເກົ່າແກ່ເກີດຂຶ້ນທີ່ນີ້ ທີ່ປີຖະຊື່ ‘ວິຣະຈາ’.”

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मैत्रावरुणे: O Maitrāvaruṇa
• मैत्रावरुणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रावरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पुराकल्पे: in a former aeon
• पुराकल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रथन्तरे: in (the place/region called) Rathantara
• रथन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• इतिहासः: a legend/history
• इतिहासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• पीठे: on/in the seat/holy spot
• पीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विरज-संज्ञिते: called ‘Viraja’
• विरज-संज्ञिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरज (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा/संज्ञा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘संज्ञित’ = ‘named’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virajā-pīṭha (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maitrāvaruṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as narrator addressing Maitrāvaruṇa, pointing to a specific seat (Virajā-pīṭha) in Kāśī; the scene is a calm, instructive opening to an ancient episode.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Maitrāvaruṇa)
• Rathaṃtara Kalpa
• Viraja Pīṭha
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places in Kāśī are framed through timeless kalpa-based tradition, grounding faith in ancient testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viraja Pīṭha, introduced as the setting for the forthcoming itihāsa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse initiates narration and establishes listener, time-frame, and sacred location.