Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । श्रुत्वोंकारकथामेतां महापातकनाशिनीम् । न तृप्तोस्मि विशाखाथ ब्रूहि त्रैविष्टपीं कथाम्

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | śrutvoṃkārakathāmetāṃ mahāpātakanāśinīm | na tṛptosmi viśākhātha brūhi traiviṣṭapīṃ kathām

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിശാഖ! മഹാപാതകനാശിനിയായ ഈ ഓംകാരകഥ ശ്രവിച്ചിട്ടും എനിക്ക് തൃപ്തിയില്ല; അതുകൊണ്ട് ത്രൈവിഷ്ടപീ സംബന്ധമായ പുണ്യകഥ എനിക്കു പറയുക।

Word by Word

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

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

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• ओंकारकथाम्: the story of Oṃkāra
• ओंकारकथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ओंकारस्य कथा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महापातकनाशिनीम्: destroying great sins
• महापातकनाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—महापातकानां नाशिनी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तृप्तः: satisfied
• तृप्तः: Vidhyartha (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तृप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विशाख: O Viśākha
• विशाख: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: then/now)

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रैविष्टपीम्: heavenly (pertaining to the gods)
• त्रैविष्टपीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैविष्टप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘त्रैविष्टप’ = स्वर्गीय/देवलोकसम्बन्धिनी

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Traiviṣṭapī (as referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśākha (Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, calm yet eager, addresses Viśākha (Skanda) requesting the Traiviṣṭapī narrative; palm-leaf manuscripts and a small fire altar indicate a teaching hermitage near Kāśī’s sacred ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Viśākha (Skanda)
• Oṅkāra
• Traiviṣṭapī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after hearing purifying sacred lore, the seeker’s thirst for dharma and kṣetra-mahātmya should deepen, leading to further inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is Kāśī-kṣetra; this verse transitions from the Oṅkāra account to another Kāśī-linked sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on śravaṇa (hearing) and continued inquiry into sacred kathā.