Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मित्रो नेत्रातिथीकृत्य त्र्यक्षं प्रत्यक्षमग्रतः । दंडवत्प्रणनामोच्चैस्तुष्टाव च पिनाकिनम्

Transliteration

mitro netrātithīkṛtya tryakṣaṃ pratyakṣamagrataḥ | daṃḍavatpraṇanāmoccaistuṣṭāva ca pinākinam

Translation

മിത്രൻ (സൂര്യൻ) കണ്ണുകളെ ‘അതിഥി’യാക്കി (പൂർണ്ണമായി തുറന്ന്) ത്രിനേത്രനായ പ്രഭുവിനെ മുന്നിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി കണ്ടു; പിന്നെ ദണ്ഡവത് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത് പിനാകി (ശിവൻ)നെ ഉച്ചത്തിൽ സ്തുതിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मित्रः: the Sun (Mitra)
• मित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'रवि' इत्यर्थे

• नेत्रातिथीकृत्य: having made (him) a guest of the eyes (i.e., having beheld)
• नेत्रातिथीकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नेत्र-अतिथि-√कृ (धातु) (कृत्वा-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्यय; नेत्रातिथि(=दर्शन-अतिथि) कृत्वा—पूर्वक्रिया

• त्र्यक्षम्: the three-eyed one
• त्र्यक्षम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly, before (his) eyes
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—'अग्रतः' सह

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• दण्डवत्: like a staff; prostrate
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• प्रणनाम्: obeisance
• प्रणनाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'प्रणाम' (obeisance)

• उच्चैः: aloud; highly
• उच्चैः: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• तुष्टाव: praised
• तुष्टाव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• पिनाकिनम्: Pinākin (Śiva, bearer of the bow Pināka)
• पिनाकिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda-to-Agastya context in Kāśī Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśvanātha/Tryambaka-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience / sages in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya stands before Tryambaka, eyes wide open in attentive ‘hospitality’; he falls in a straight staff-like prostration and begins a resonant hymn to Pinākin.

Characters & Entities

• Mitra (Sūrya)
• Tryakṣa (Śiva)
• Pinākin (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After receiving grace, the right response is humility (daṇḍavat praṇāma) and praise—devotion expressed through body and speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s ethos of ‘pratyakṣa darśana’ of Śiva is reinforced—Śiva is near and accessible in this sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is daṇḍavat praṇāma (full prostration) and stotra (hymnic praise) before Śiva.