Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

इमं प्रश्नं निशम्यैशिर्मुनेः कलशजन्मनः । प्रत्युवाच नमस्कृत्य शिवौ प्रणतसिद्धिदौ

Transliteration

imaṃ praśnaṃ niśamyaiśirmuneḥ kalaśajanmanaḥ | pratyuvāca namaskṛtya śivau praṇatasiddhidau

Translation

കലശജന്മനായ മുനിയുടെ ഈ ചോദ്യം കേട്ട പ്രഭു—പ്രണതർക്കു സിദ്ധി നൽകുന്ന ഇരുശിവന്മാരെയും നമസ്കരിച്ചു—മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• प्रश्नम्: question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• ऋषिः: the sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कलशजन्मनः: of the pot-born (Agastya)
• कलशजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कलशे जन्म यस्य)

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उप-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); ‘नमस्कृत्य’ = नमः कृत्वा

• शिवौ: the two Śivas (Śiva and Umā)
• शिवौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• प्रणतसिद्धिदौ: bestowers of success to the bowed (devotees)
• प्रणतसिद्धिदौ: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: ‘प्रणतानां सिद्धिं ददाति’ इति; विशेषण (शिवौ)

Speaker

Skanda (narrative transition; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Upavārāṇasī context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda (or the responding Lord) hears Agastya’s question and first bows reverently to Śiva—depicted as a paired/dual Śiva presence—before replying.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kalaśajanman)
• Śiva
• Śivā (Pārvatī, implied by dual 'śivau')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper narration begins with reverence—salutation to Śiva (and the divine pair) is presented as the source of siddhi and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a framing verse within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering salutations (namaskāra) before commencing sacred speech or inquiry.