Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अर्कोप्यवसरं ज्ञात्वा नत्वा शंभुं व्यजिज्ञपत् । प्रसन्नास्यमुमाकांतं दृष्ट्वा दृष्टचराचरः

Transliteration

arkopyavasaraṃ jñātvā natvā śaṃbhuṃ vyajijñapat | prasannāsyamumākāṃtaṃ dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭacarācaraḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അർക്കൻ (സൂര്യൻ) കൂടി അവസരം അറിഞ്ഞ് ശംഭുവിനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു അപേക്ഷിച്ചു. ചരാചരങ്ങളെയെല്ലാം കാണുന്ന ഉമാകാന്തന്റെ പ്രസന്നമുഖം കണ്ടിട്ട് അവൻ സംസാരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अर्कः: Arka (Sun)
• अर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अवसरम्: opportunity
• अवसरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having known'

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having bowed'

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• व्यजिज्ञपत्: he informed/requested
• व्यजिज्ञपत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+ज्ञप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; 'अजिज्ञपत्' (intensive/causative-like desiderative nuance in form) = he informed/requested

• प्रसन्न: serene/pleased
• प्रसन्न: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'उमाकान्तम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आस्यम्: face
• आस्यम्: Visheshya-bhava (Qualifier component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'प्रसन्नास्यम्' (having a serene face)

• उमाकान्तम्: Umā’s beloved (Śiva)
• उमाकान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उमायाः कान्तः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having seen'

• दृष्ट: who has seen
• दृष्ट: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'चराचरः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चराचरः: (one who knows) the moving and unmoving beings
• चराचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चराः च अचराः च) समाहारार्थे 'चराचरम्' अपेक्षितम्, परन्तु पाठे पुं. एक. 'चराचरः' = (he) who has seen the moving and unmoving (world)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arka, radiant yet humbled, bows to Śambhu; Śiva’s face is serene, with Umā beside him; the cosmos (moving and unmoving) implied as within Śiva’s gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Arka (Sūrya)
• Śiva (Śambhu, Umākānta)
• Umā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great deities approach Śiva with humility and proper timing, modeling reverent conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to Kāśī’s māhātmya framework, where Śiva’s sovereignty in Kāśī is central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bowing (namaskāra) and petitioning the deity are implied devotional acts; no formal vrata is stated.