Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्तिरुवाच । शृणु सुश्रोणि सुभगे वैश्वानरसमुद्भवम् । पुण्यशीलसुशीलाभ्यां यथोक्तं शिवशर्मणे

Transliteration

agastiruvāca | śṛṇu suśroṇi subhage vaiśvānarasamudbhavam | puṇyaśīlasuśīlābhyāṃ yathoktaṃ śivaśarmaṇe

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സുഷ്രോണി, ഹേ സുഭഗേ! വൈശ്വാനരൻ (പവിത്ര അഗ്നി) മുതൽ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ച ഈ വൃത്താന്തം കേൾക്കുക. പുണ്യശീലയും സുശീലയും എന്ന സദ്ഗുണവതികൾ സംഭവിച്ചതുപോലെ ശിവശർമനോട് പറഞ്ഞതാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अगस्तिः: Agastya
• अगस्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) लोट्
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुश्रोणि: O fair-hipped one
• सुश्रोणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुश्रोणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण संबोधनम्

• सुभगे: O fortunate one
• सुभगे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण संबोधनम्

• वैश्वानरसमुद्भवम्: the origin arising from Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• वैश्वानरसमुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वानर + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वैश्वानरात् समुद्भवः)

• पुण्यशीलसुशीलाभ्याम्: by Puṇyaśīla and Suśīla
• पुण्यशीलसुशीलाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यशील + सुशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (पुण्यशीलश्च सुशीलश्च)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: as)

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावे ‘यथोक्तम्’ = यथा उक्तम् (as said)

• शिवशर्मणे: to Śivaśarman
• शिवशर्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; नकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक (शर्मन्)

Speaker

Agastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed addressed woman (contextually Lopāmudrā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Agastya addresses an auspicious woman (likely Lopāmudrā) in a hermitage setting; a sacred fire burns nearby, symbolizing Vaiśvānara as the ‘source’ of the account; the mood is calm and instructive.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Suśroṇī (listener epithet)
• Vaiśvānara
• Puṇyaśīla
• Suśīlā
• Śivaśarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma is transmitted through revered dialogue and witness-based narration, grounding sacred instruction in exemplary lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse introduces a narrative within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the tirtha-glorification unfolds through the chapter’s story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this opening line; it functions as a narrative introduction (kathā-prastāva).