Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

पुनरूचे कुलिवरः संभ्रमाप न्नमानसः । उच्छ्वासकारणं ब्रह्मन्ब्रूहि सर्वार्थकोविद

Transliteration

punarūce kulivaraḥ saṃbhramāpa nnamānasaḥ | ucchvāsakāraṇaṃ brahmanbrūhi sarvārthakovida

Translation

പിന്നീട് പർവ്വതശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ, വിസ്മയഭരിതമായ മനസ്സോടെ, വീണ്ടും പറഞ്ഞു—‘ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ, സർവ്വാർത്ഥകോവിദ! നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉച്ഛ്വാസത്തിന്റെ കാരണം പറയുക.’

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (again)

• ऊचे: said
• ऊचे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (उवाच/ऊचे)

• कुलिवरः: the excellent Kuliva (name/epithet)
• कुलिवरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलिवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संभ्रमापन्नमानसः: whose mind was seized by agitation
• संभ्रमापन्नमानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आपन्न (आप् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (संभ्रमम् आपन्नं मानसं यस्य)

• उच्छ्वासकारणम्: the cause of the sigh
• उच्छ्वासकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ्वास (उद्+श्वस् धातु, घञ्/भाव) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उच्छ्वासस्य कारणम्)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वार्थकोविद: O knower of all matters
• सर्वार्थकोविद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषाम् अर्थानां कोविदः)

Speaker

Giri/Śaila (mountain personified, addressing the sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The mountain, still bowed yet eager, speaks again with awe, requesting the sage to explain the cause of his sigh; the sage remains composed, ready to teach.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (honorific for sage)
• Giri/Śaila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry is itself dharma; one should ask the wise with humility to understand deeper meanings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī, where sacred dialogue and wisdom-transmission are central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse models praśna (respectful questioning) before a sage.