Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रियया वपुषोर्धयानयाप्यपरिज्ञात वियोगकारणः । वचनैरुपचर्यते स्म सप्रणतप्राणिनिदाघदारणः

Transliteration

priyayā vapuṣordhayānayāpyaparijñāta viyogakāraṇaḥ | vacanairupacaryate sma sapraṇataprāṇinidāghadāraṇaḥ

Translation

പ്രിയയായ അവൾ—അവന്റെ ദേഹത്തിന്റെ അർദ്ധഭാഗം തന്നെയായിട്ടും—വിയോഗകാരണം അറിയാതിരുന്നെങ്കിലും, മൃദുവചനങ്ങളാൽ അവനെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിച്ചു സേവിച്ചു; പ്രണതജീവികൾക്കായി സംസാരനിദാഘം അകറ്റുന്ന അവനെ.

Word by Word

• प्रियया: by the beloved (wife)
• प्रियया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वपुषा: by (her) body/form
• वपुषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• उर्धया: raised, uplifted
• उर्धया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उर्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अनया)

• अनया: by her/this (one)
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक अव्यय (particle)

• अपरिज्ञात: not fully known/understood
• अपरिज्ञात: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-परि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; नकारार्थक उपसर्गयुक्त

• वियोगकारणः: the cause of separation
• वियोगकारणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वियोग-कारण (प्रातिपदिक; वियोग + कारण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वचनैः: with words
• वचनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उपचर्यते: is attended/served, is treated
• उपचर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• स्म: indeed/then (in narration)
• स्म: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मृत्यर्थक/भूतार्थक निपात (particle indicating past narration)

• सप्रणतप्राणिनिदाघदारणः: one who removes the scorching heat for the bowed living beings
• सप्रणतप्राणिनिदाघदारणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-प्रणत-प्राणि-निदाघ-दारण (प्रातिपदिक; स + प्रणत + प्राणि + निदाघ + दारण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वियोगकारणस्य/शिवस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, context-inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, tender and composed, speaks soothingly to Śiva; Śiva appears as the cosmic healer of devotees’ suffering, with a subtle aura that cools the heat of the world.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord who removes devotees’ suffering is still approached through loving service and speech—highlighting bhakti as intimate participation in divine līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the narrative that culminates in Kāśī/Avimukta glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on compassionate upacāra (attentive service) through words.