Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

रविरादाय देवाज्ञां मूर्तिमन्यां प्रकल्प्य च । नभोध्वगामहोरात्रं काशीमभिमुखोऽभवत्

Transliteration

ravirādāya devājñāṃ mūrtimanyāṃ prakalpya ca | nabhodhvagāmahorātraṃ kāśīmabhimukho'bhavat

Translation

രവി ദേവാജ്ഞ സ്വീകരിച്ച് മറ്റൊരു രൂപം ധരിച്ചു; അഹോരാത്രം ആകാശപഥത്തിലൂടെ സഞ്ചരിച്ച് കാശിയിലേക്കു മുഖം തിരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• देवाज्ञाम्: the command of the god
• देवाज्ञाम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवस्य आज्ञा)

• मूर्तिम्: a form
• मूर्तिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्याम्: another
• अन्याम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); मूर्तिम् इति विशेषणम्

• प्रकल्प्य: having assumed/arranged
• प्रकल्प्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नभोद्ध्वगाम्: sky-going
• नभोद्ध्वगाम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); मूर्तिम् इति विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नभसि ध्वगः/गमनशीलः)

• अहोरात्रम्: day and night
• अहोरात्रम्: कालाधिकरण (Time span)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (day and night)

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

• अभिमुखः: facing toward
• अभिमुखः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); रविः इति विशेषणम्

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), 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 receives the gods’ command, assumes another form, and journeys across the sky continuously, turning toward Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• the gods (devāḥ)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• divine command (devājñā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic powers act under divine ordinance to protect dharma and the sanctity of sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), depicted as a destination worthy of divine attention and intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates Sūrya’s divinely mandated journey toward Kāśī.