Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

कोत्र संप्रत्यधिष्ठाता किमधिष्ठातृ चेष्टितम् । यदि जानासि तत्सर्वमिहाचक्ष्व ममाग्रतः

Transliteration

kotra saṃpratyadhiṣṭhātā kimadhiṣṭhātṛ ceṣṭitam | yadi jānāsi tatsarvamihācakṣva mamāgrataḥ

Translation

“ഇപ്പോൾ ഇവിടെ അധിഷ്ഠാതാവ് ആര്? ആ അധിഷ്ഠാതാവിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾ എന്തെല്ലാം? നീ അറിയുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ എല്ലാം എന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ പറയുക.”

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (who)

• उत्र: there; where
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there/where)

• संप्रति: now
• संप्रति: Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संप्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now/at present)

• अधिष्ठाता: the presiding ruler
• अधिष्ठाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + स्था (धातु) → अधिष्ठातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक नाम (overseer/ruler)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what)

• अधिष्ठातृ: of the ruler; presiding
• अधिष्ठातृ: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिष्ठातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे विशेषण; 'अधिष्ठातुः' (of the ruler) — here used as qualifier to 'चेष्टितम्'

• चेष्टितम्: deed; activity
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'conduct/act'

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-सम्बन्धी अव्यय (conditional: if)

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (that)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (all)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• आचक्ष्व: tell; declare
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'tell/declare'

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम (my)

• अग्रतः: in front (of me)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front of)

Speaker

Himavān

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān leans forward in earnest inquiry, asking about the current presiding ruler/deity and the deeds that define that sovereignty; the mendicant listens, poised to answer.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Adhiṣṭhātā (presiding Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding begins by identifying the adhiṣṭhātā (presiding divinity) and recognizing divine governance behind sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting; the question anticipates the revelation of its presiding Lord (Viśveśvara/Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that frames forthcoming māhātmya.