Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । कोयं कृशानुः कस्यायं सूनुः कथमिदं पदम् । आग्नेयं लब्धमेतेन ब्रूतमेतन्ममाग्रतः

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | koyaṃ kṛśānuḥ kasyāyaṃ sūnuḥ kathamidaṃ padam | āgneyaṃ labdhametena brūtametanmamāgrataḥ

Translation

ശിവശർമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഈ കൃശാനു (അഗ്നി) ആരാണ്? ഇവൻ ആരുടെ പുത്രൻ? പിന്നെ ഇവൻ എങ്ങനെ ഈ ആഗ്നേയ പദം നേടി? എന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ വ്യക്തമായി പറയുക.

Word by Word

• śivaśarma: Śivaśarman (proper name)
• śivaśarma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kṛśānuḥ: fire (Kṛśānu)
• kṛśānuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛśānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अग्निवाचक-शब्द

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sūnuḥ: son
• sūnuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūnu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (for padam)

• padam: state/position/footing
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• āgneyaṃ: fiery, belonging to Agni
• āgneyaṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक) < agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (for padam)

• labdham: obtained, attained
• labdham: Pradhāna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labh (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → labdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• etena: by this (one)
• etena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• brūta: tell (you all)
• brūta: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• etat: this (matter)
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mama: of me / my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• agrataḥ: in front (of me)
• agrataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place) ‘in front’

Speaker

Śivaśarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyotiṣmatīpurī (mentioned as attained)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaṇas (about to respond)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa (Śivaśarman) stands before luminous fire-personified (Kṛśānu), hands raised in inquiry; attendants and temple setting suggest a sacred discourse in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• Agni (Kṛśānu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker asks about origins and spiritual attainment, prompting authoritative instruction in dharma and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, oriented to Kāśī’s sacred framework where divine powers and attainments are explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question initiating the explanation of an āgneya (fire-related) attainment.