Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । कात्यायनेय कथय नंदिना विश्वनंदिना । यथा व्यापारिता देव्यो देवदेवनिदेशतः

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | kātyāyaneya kathaya naṃdinā viśvanaṃdinā | yathā vyāpāritā devyo devadevanideśataḥ

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കാത്യായനേയാ! ദേവദേവന്റെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം നന്ദി, വിശ്വനന്ദി ദേവിമാരെ എങ്ങനെ പ്രവർത്തനത്തിൽ നിയോഗിച്ചു, അത് എനിക്ക് പറയുക।

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कात्यायनेय: O son/descendant of Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनेय: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायन-एय (प्रातिपदिक; कात्यायनस्य अपत्यम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कथय: tell, narrate
• कथय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; कथ् + णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नन्दिना: by Nandin
• नन्दिना: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विश्वनन्दिना: by Viśvanandin
• विश्वनन्दिना: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ—"विश्वस्य नन्दी"

• यथा: how, in what manner
• यथा: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (how/as)

• व्यापारिताः: were engaged/commissioned
• व्यापारिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-पर् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; "देव्यः" इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देव्यः: the goddesses
• देव्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• देवदेवनिदेशतः: by/according to the command of the Lord of gods
• देवदेवनिदेशतः: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देव-देव-निदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) "-तः"; समासः—देवदेवस्य निदेशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandin/Viśvanandin (Kātyāyana-putra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Agastya respectfully questions ‘Kātyāyana’s son’ (Nandin/Viśvanandin) about how the goddesses were assigned duties by Śiva’s command; a teaching scene in a forested Kāśī grove.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Kātyāyaneya
• Nandin
• Viśvanandin
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Devyaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order in Kāśī is not accidental; it is established through Śiva’s command and carried out by divine attendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta/Kāśī is the implied sacred field whose protection and governance are being discussed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; this verse initiates an inquiry into how divine guardians were appointed.