Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

उत्सृजंतमिवार्घ्यं वै पत्रपुष्पैरितस्ततः । केकिकेकारवैर्दूरात्कुर्वंतं स्वागतं किल

Transliteration

utsṛjaṃtamivārghyaṃ vai patrapuṣpairitastataḥ | kekikekāravairdūrātkurvaṃtaṃ svāgataṃ kila

Translation

ഇവിടെയും അവിടെയും ഇലകളും പൂക്കളുമായി സ്വാഗതാർഥം അർഘ്യം ഒഴുക്കുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി; ദൂരത്ത് നിന്ന് മയിലുകളുടെ ‘കേകി-കേകാ’ നാദം അഭിവാദ്യഘോഷമായി മുഴങ്ങുന്നതുപോലെയും ഉണ്ടായി।

Word by Word

• उत्सृजन्तम्: offering / presenting
• उत्सृजन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज् (धातु; त्यागे/विसर्जने) → उत्सृजत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘(one) who is offering/casting’

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (comparison)

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya (honor-offering)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पत्रपुष्पैः: with leaves and flowers
• पत्रपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र-पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक; पत्र + पुष्प)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (neut. instr. pl.)

• इतस्: from here / on this side
• इतस्: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘from here/this side’)

• ततः: from there / then
• ततः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘from there/then’)

• केकि: a peacock
• केकि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (masc. nom. sg.)

• केकारवैः: with ‘ke’ cries (calls)
• केकारवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकारव (प्रातिपदिक; के + कारव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (masc. instr. pl.)

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाव (ablatival adverb): ‘from afar’

• कुर्वन्तम्: making / doing
• कुर्वन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु; करणे) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘doing/making’

• स्वागतम्: welcome (greeting)
• स्वागतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-आगत (प्रातिपदिक; सु + आगत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.)

• किल: indeed / it is said
• किल: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: ख्यात्यर्थक/श्रुत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative/hearsay particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (approach)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pathway or grove near the sacred city where petals and leaves seem to shower like arghya; peacocks in the distance cry ‘keki-keka’ as if announcing a ceremonial welcome.

Characters & Entities

• Peacocks
• Arghya (welcome offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a holy kṣetra, even nature participates in dharma—welcome and worship arise spontaneously through sacred atmosphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī region’s sacred grove-landscape, depicted as welcoming a revered visitor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arghya (ceremonial welcome offering) is alluded to, though performed here metaphorically by the landscape with flowers and leaves.