Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । लोलार्कस्य च माहात्म्यमुत्तरार्कस्य च द्विज । कथितं ते महाभाग सांबादित्यं निशामय

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | lolārkasya ca māhātmyamuttarārkasya ca dvija | kathitaṃ te mahābhāga sāṃbādityaṃ niśāmaya

Translation

സ്കന്ദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ്യവാനേ, ലോളാർകത്തിന്റെയും ഉത്തരാർകത്തിന്റെയും മഹാത്മ്യം ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞു; ഇനി സാംബാദിത്യന്റെ കഥ കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

• स्कंदः: Skanda
• स्कंदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• लोलार्कस्य: of Lolārka
• लोलार्कस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तरार्कस्य: of Uttarārka
• उत्तरार्कस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथितं: told, narrated
• कथितं: Kriya-samapti (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → कथित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); (माहात्म्यम् इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सांबादित्यं: Sāmbāditya (Sun associated with Sāmba)
• सांबादित्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• निशामय: listen (to it), hear
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka; Uttarārka; (intro to) Sāmbāditya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija (brāhmaṇa sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda addresses a brāhmaṇa, announcing he has described Lolārka and Uttarārka and will now narrate Sāmbāditya; a teacher-disciple storytelling tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Lolārka
• Uttarārka
• Sāmbāditya
• Dvija (listener, traditionally Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-mahātmya is transmitted through attentive listening (śravaṇa), which itself is treated as a meritorious spiritual act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka and Uttarārka are explicitly named; Sāmbāditya is introduced as the next sacred focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it is a narrative transition instructing the listener to hear the next māhātmya.