Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

शालंकायनहारी तौ विश्वामित्रोथभार्गवः । मृकंडः सह पुत्रेण दाल्भ्य उद्दालकस्तथा

Transliteration

śālaṃkāyanahārī tau viśvāmitrothabhārgavaḥ | mṛkaṃḍaḥ saha putreṇa dālbhya uddālakastathā

Translation

ശാലങ്കായനനും ഹാരിയും, വിശ്വാമിത്രനും ഭാർഗവനും; മൃകണ്ഡൻ പുത്രനോടുകൂടെ, ദാൽഭ്യനും ഉദ്ദാലകനും കൂടി—എല്ലാവരും അവിടെ ഒന്നിച്ചു ചേർന്നു।

Word by Word

• शालंकायनहारी: Śālaṃkāyanahārī
• शालंकायनहारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालंकायनहारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ऋषिनाम (सम्भवतः उपाधि/नाम)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमबोधक-निपात (then)

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava
• भार्गवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; गोत्र/ऋषिनाम

• मृकंडः: Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकंडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकंड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like indeclinable)

• पुत्रेण: with (his) son
• पुत्रेण: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• दाल्भ्य: Dālbhy(a)
• दाल्भ्य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाल्भ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• उद्दालकः: Uddālaka
• उद्दालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्दालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha/Conjunction-like (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (also/likewise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ṛṣi-sammelana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified circle of sages: Viśvāmitra with royal-turned-ascetic bearing, Bhārgava with austere brilliance, Mṛkaṇḍa with his young son beside him, and elder teachers Dālbhya and Uddālaka—gathered in calm deliberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śālaṃkāyana
• Hārī
• Viśvāmitra
• Bhārgava
• Mṛkaṇḍa
• Dālbhya
• Uddālaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Multiple rṣi lineages gathering together implies that Kāśī transcends sectarian boundaries and serves as a universal dharma-kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, the shared destination of sages from diverse traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on the sacred congregation.