Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

हंसत्वं तस्य सूर्यस्य तदा सफलतामगात् । सदा नभोध्वनीनस्य काशीं प्रति यियासतः

Transliteration

haṃsatvaṃ tasya sūryasya tadā saphalatāmagāt | sadā nabhodhvanīnasya kāśīṃ prati yiyāsataḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കാശിയിലേക്കു പോകുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചും നിത്യം ആകാശപഥങ്ങളിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ചുംിരുന്ന ആ സൂര്യന്റെ ഹംസരൂപധാരണം സത്യമായും ഫലപ്രദമായി.

Word by Word

• हंसत्वम्: the state of being a swan
• हंसत्वम्: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूर्यस्य: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय

• सफलताम्: success, fruitfulness
• सफलताम्: कर्म (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (तद्धित; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त

• अगात्: attained/went to
• अगात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (always)

• नभोद्ध्वनीनस्य: of the one moving along the sky-path
• नभोद्ध्वनीनस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वनीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); (तस्य सूर्यस्य) इति विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नभसि ध्वनीनः/मार्गी)

• काशीम्: Kashi
• काशीम्: कर्म/गन्तव्य (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: दिशा/प्रत्यवस्थान (Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-प्रयोगे अव्यय (preposition)

• यियासतः: of (him) wishing to go
• यियासतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive; of one intending)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: सन्नन्त-धातु (यि+या = यियास् ‘to wish to go’); शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present participle), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya’s assumed haṃsa-form proves effective as he continually traverses the sky-lanes, intent on reaching Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Haṃsa (swan form)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• sky-path (nabho-dhvanī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right means are adopted to fulfill a dharmic end; divine forms and symbols serve the protection of sacred dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, the destination that motivates even Sūrya’s transformation and swift travel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description of Sūrya’s form and intention.