Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रः समाहूय वीतिहोत्रं पुरःस्थितम् । ऊचे मधुरया वाचा बहुमानपुरःसरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śakraḥ samāhūya vītihotraṃ puraḥsthitam | ūce madhurayā vācā bahumānapuraḥsaram

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) തന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ നിന്നിരുന്ന വീതിഹോത്രനെ വിളിച്ചു, മഹാ ബഹുമാനത്തോടെ മധുരവചനങ്ങളാൽ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (काल/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/ततः (then/thereupon)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Adverbial (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + हु (हु-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• वीतिहोत्रम्: Vītihotra (a person)
• वीतिहोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीतिहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक; वीतिः + होत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• पुरःस्थितम्: standing before (him)
• पुरःस्थितम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय) + स्थित (√स्था-धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण (standing in front)

• ऊचे: said
• ऊचे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (वच्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (उवाच/ऊचे)

• मधुरया: with sweet
• मधुरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वाचा: speech/words
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• बहुमानपुरःसरम्: preceded by great respect
• बहुमानपुरःसरम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुमान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (preceded by respect)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame), quoting Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant and regal, calls Vītihotra standing before him; Indra speaks gently yet authoritatively, signaling a strategic move.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Vītihotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when issuing commands, dharma favors speech grounded in honor and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame; no named tirtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the context points toward ritual/fire-related agency through Vītihotra.