Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अगस्तिरुवाच । स्वामिन्यथा भगवता भगवत्यै पुराऽकथि । वाराणस्यास्तु महिमा हिमशैलभुवे मुदा

Transliteration

agastiruvāca | svāminyathā bhagavatā bhagavatyai purā'kathi | vārāṇasyāstu mahimā himaśailabhuve mudā

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—സ്വാമീ! ഭഗവാൻ പൂർവ്വം ഹിമശൈലത്തിൽ ആനന്ദത്തോടെ ഭഗവതിയോട് പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ, വാരാണസിയുടെ മഹിമ എനിക്കു പറയുക।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular perfect

• स्वामिन्: O Lord/Master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/adverb); as/how

• भगवता: by the Blessed Lord
• भगवता: Kartr̥/Hetu (Agent/Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• भगवत्यै: to the Blessed Goddess
• भगवत्यै: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; dative singular

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); formerly/once

• अकथि: was told/was narrated
• अकथि: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular aorist (passive/ātmanepada usage possible by context)

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); but/indeed

• महिमा: the greatness
• महिमा: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• हिमशैल-भुवे: to (you) who dwell in the snowy mountain (Himālaya)
• हिमशैल-भुवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + भुवि/भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: 'हिमशैलस्य भुविः' (to the one dwelling in the Himālaya region)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular (manner)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya addresses Skanda, recalling an ancient scene where Śiva joyfully taught Pārvatī on the slopes of Himavān; the request bridges Himalaya and Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Bhagavān (Śiva)
• Bhagavatī (Pārvatī)
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Himavān (Himalaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The glory of Kāśī is a timeless revelation transmitted through revered lineages of teacher and listener.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), especially as Avimukta-kṣetra of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request to narrate the māhātmya (praise and spiritual significance) of the holy city.