Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

इति कृत्स्नं समाकर्ण्य व्यासः पाराशरो मुनिः । श्रद्धावते स्वशिष्याय वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे

Transliteration

iti kṛtsnaṃ samākarṇya vyāsaḥ pārāśaro muniḥ | śraddhāvate svaśiṣyāya vaktuṃ samupacakrame

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ സമഗ്രവൃത്താന്തം ശ്രവിച്ച പരാശരപുത്രനായ മുനി വ്യാസൻ ശ്രദ്ധയുള്ള തന്റെ ശിഷ്യനോട് പറയാൻ ആരംഭിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-प्रकारेण वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative/particle)

• कृत्स्नम्: the whole, entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular neuter)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having heard completely)

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine)

• पाराशरः: son of Parāśara (Pārāśara)
• पाराशरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine); व्यासस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine); व्यासस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• श्रद्धावते: to the faithful one
• श्रद्धावते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Dative singular masculine)

• स्वशिष्याय: to his own disciple
• स्वशिष्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Dative singular masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य शिष्यः)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थक (in order to speak)

• समुपचक्रमे: began, set about
• समुपचक्रमे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (he began/undertook)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Itihāsa-style narrative voice introducing Vyāsa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: His śiṣya (faith-endowed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm āśrama setting: Vyāsa, seated on kuśa-mat, begins discourse to a devoted disciple; manuscripts/palm-leaves nearby; forest hermitage ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge—especially Kāśī-māhātmya—is best received and transmitted through faith (śraddhā) within the guru–disciple relationship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a narrative transition; the broader context is the glorification of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the authoritative teaching that will describe Kāśī’s rites and merits.