Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एवं स वृद्धहारीतो वाराणस्यां महामुनिः । संप्राप्य यौवनं ब्रध्नात्तप उग्रं चचार ह

Transliteration

evaṃ sa vṛddhahārīto vārāṇasyāṃ mahāmuniḥ | saṃprāpya yauvanaṃ bradhnāttapa ugraṃ cacāra ha

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ വാർദ്ധക്യഭാരമുള്ള മഹാമുനി ഹാരീതൻ ബ്രധ്നനിൽ നിന്ന് യൗവനം പ്രാപിച്ച് വാരാണസിയിൽ ഉഗ്രതപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Discourse adverb/वाक्योपपादक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृद्धहारीतः: Vṛddha-Hārīta (the sage)
• वृद्धहारीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-हारीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नाम (proper name)

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-विशेषण (appositive)

• सम्प्राप्य: having attained
• सम्प्राप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रध्नात्: from Bradhna (the Sun)
• ब्रध्नात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रध्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उग्रम्: fierce
• उग्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying ‘तपः’)

• चचार: he practiced/performed
• चचार: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle; narrative emphasis)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as tapas-bhūmi; Vṛddhāditya context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Hārīta, now youthful, seated in intense meditation near a Kāśī ghat or grove, surrounded by a subtle solar aura indicating Bradhna’s blessing; austerity symbols—matted hair, deer-skin, water pot.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta
• Bradhna
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a powerful setting where divine favor and personal austerity together accelerate spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the practice undertaken after receiving grace.