Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततो विलोकयामास लोकं लोचनशर्मदम् । केऽमी जनास्त्वसौ लोकः किंनामा वदतां गणौ

Transliteration

tato vilokayāmāsa lokaṃ locanaśarmadam | ke'mī janāstvasau lokaḥ kiṃnāmā vadatāṃ gaṇau

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ കണ്ണുകൾക്ക് ആനന്ദം നൽകുന്ന ആ ലോകത്തെ നോക്കി ചോദിച്ചു—“ഇവർ ആരാണ്? ഈ ലോകത്തിന് എന്താണ് പേര്? ഓ ഗണങ്ങളേ, പറയുക.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• विलोकयामास: he looked at
• विलोकयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः वि

• लोकम्: the world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• लोचनशर्मदम्: giving comfort to the eyes
• लोचनशर्मदम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोचन (प्रातिपदिक) + शर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा/दम् 'to give' as -द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (लोकम् इति); समासः: लोचनाय शर्म ददाति इति (giving delight/comfort to the eyes)

• के: who? (which people?)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अमी: those (over there)
• अमी: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• असौ: that (there)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

• लोकः: world/realm
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• नाम: pray/indeed (in questions)
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनुनासिक-निपातः (particle used in questions: 'indeed/then')

• वदताम्: of those who speak
• वदताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक 'वदत्' (speaking) का षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; (गणौ इति विशेष्यस्य)

• गणौ: two groups
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice; question posed by a traveler/observer within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler or celestial observer pauses, eyes widened, surveying a radiant realm; beside him stand gaṇas/attendants ready to answer; the landscape glows, pleasing to the eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual inquiry—asking about the nature of realms and beings—precedes understanding of merit and its fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; it is a cosmological/narrative transition within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question introducing the identification of a loka.