Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

साशीतिलक्षं तस्यासन्कुमारा अर्कवर्चसः । स्वर्गे पितादृशा बालाः सुशीला न हि कुंभज

Transliteration

sāśītilakṣaṃ tasyāsankumārā arkavarcasaḥ | svarge pitādṛśā bālāḥ suśīlā na hi kuṃbhaja

Translation

അവന് എൺപത് ലക്ഷം പുത്രന്മാർ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു—സൂര്യസമമായ തേജസ്സോടെ ദീപ്തർ. ഹേ കുംഭജ, സ്വർഗത്തിൽ അവർ പിതാവിനെപ്പോലെ സുഷീലരും സദാചാരികളും ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स: they
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (छान्दस/सन्ध्यन्तर-रूप; ‘ते’)

• अशीति-लक्षम्: eighty lakhs (8,000,000)
• अशीति-लक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशीति + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वक)

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

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुमाराः: sons, youths
• कुमाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• अर्कवर्चसः: having the radiance of the sun
• अर्कवर्चसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—अर्कस्य वर्चः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषण

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• पितृ-दृशाः: like their father in appearance
• पितृ-दृशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—पितृवत् दृशः/दृशा (उपमान-तत्पुरुष)

• बालाः: children
• बालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सुशीलाः: well-behaved, virtuous
• सुशीलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—सुशील (कर्मधारय)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—कुम्भात् जातः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Contextual attribution: Skanda (addressing Agastya, ‘Kumbhaja’)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial panorama: innumerable youthful figures, radiant like the sun, assembled in Svarga; a sage (Kumbhaja/Agastya) is addressed as the narrator describes their noble conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (implied)
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Svarga
• Arka (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner virtue (suśīlatā) is presented as the true inheritance, mirrored outwardly as radiance and excellence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues a narrative description within the chapter’s sacred-historical frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing number, radiance, and good conduct.