Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

पितस्त्रिलोचनं काश्यामर्चयित्वा दिनेदिने । आभ्यां सखीभ्यां सहिता मौनं त्यक्ष्यामि नान्यथा

Transliteration

pitastrilocanaṃ kāśyāmarcayitvā dinedine | ābhyāṃ sakhībhyāṃ sahitā maunaṃ tyakṣyāmi nānyathā

Translation

അവൾ പറഞ്ഞു—‘പിതാവേ! കാശിയിൽ ത്രിലോചനനെ ദിനംപ്രതി ആരാധിച്ച്, ഈ രണ്ടു സഖിമാരോടൊപ്പം ഞാൻ മൗനവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കും—മറ്റെങ്ങനെല്ല।’

Word by Word

• pitaḥ: O father
• pitaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• trilocanam: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• trilocanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (trīṇi locanāni yasya) — ‘three-eyed (Śiva)’

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• arcayitvā: having worshipped
• arcayitvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु/अर्च्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative nuance possible in form arcay-)

• dine: on a day
• dine: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• dine: (each) day
• dine: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः—वितरणार्थे (day after day)

• ābhyām: with these two
• ābhyām: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचनम्; ‘with/by these two’

• sakhībhyām: with (two) friends
• sakhībhyām: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचनम्

• sahitā: accompanied
• sahitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (कृदन्त; सह धातु/सह्?; प्रचलित विशेषण ‘सहित’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/निष्पन्न विशेषण; ‘accompanied’

• maunam: silence (vow of silence)
• maunam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• tyakṣyāmi: I shall undertake/keep (lit. take up/maintain)
• tyakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु/त्यज्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Ratnāvalī (quoted within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī speaks to her father with firm resolve, pointing toward Kāśī’s Trilocana; behind her stand Prabhāvatī and Kalāvatī ready to accompany her; a Śiva temple silhouette and Gaṅgā-like sanctity are suggested.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes powerful when joined with regular worship and disciplined restraint—here, daily pūjā in Kāśī and a vow of silence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the worship of Trilocana (three-eyed Śiva) within the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily worship (dine dine arcana) of Trilocana in Kāśī and the observance of mauna (silence) as a niyama.