Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

मित्रावरुणसंज्ञं वा किमेषामाशुपुत्रदम् । क्षणं विचार्य स मुनिरिति विश्वानरः सुधीः

Transliteration

mitrāvaruṇasaṃjñaṃ vā kimeṣāmāśuputradam | kṣaṇaṃ vicārya sa muniriti viśvānaraḥ sudhīḥ

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഇതിന് ‘മിത്രാവരുണ’ എന്ന നാമമാണോ? ഇവയിൽ ഏതാണ് शीഘ്രമായി പുത്രം നൽകുന്നത്? ക്ഷണം ചിന്തിച്ച്, ആ പ്രാജ്ഞനായ മുനി വിശ്വാനരൻ ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• मित्रावरुणसंज्ञम्: having the designation ‘Mitra-Varuṇa’
• मित्रावरुणसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र + वरुण + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (मित्र-वरुण) + षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रावरुणयोः संज्ञा यस्य तत्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• किम्: what?/whether?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन

• आशुपुत्रदम्: quickly granting a son
• आशुपुत्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु + पुत्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (आशु पुत्रं ददाति इति/आशु-पुत्रदः = quickly granting a son)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरणार्थे द्वितीया (for a moment)

• विचार्य: having reflected/considered
• विचार्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having considered

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (thus)

• विश्वानरः: Viśvānara (proper name)
• विश्वानरः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण मुनिविशेषः

• सुधीः: wise, intelligent
• सुधीः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-धीः = good/intelligent-minded)

Speaker

Narrator within Skanda’s discourse (deduced); Viśvānara is the speaking sage in this moment

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mitrāvaruṇa-saṃjña liṅga (as queried)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thoughtful sage pauses in a Kāśī lane, mentally weighing shrine-names; behind him, signboards/arches indicate different liṅgas; a subtle Vedic motif of Mitra-Varuṇa (sun and water) appears as symbolic overlay.

Characters & Entities

• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Viśvānara (sage)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage tradition also addresses householders’ aims; in Kāśī, devotion is framed as capable of fulfilling righteous desires when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī generally; the verse points toward a particular liṅga/shrine reputed as āśu-putrada (swiftly granting progeny), possibly connected with the name Mitrāvaruṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is stated—only the intent of seeking putra-prāpti through worship at an identified Kāśī shrine.