Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

स्वप्रेमया स संप्रोक्तो वशिष्ठस्तापसोत्तमः । दृढव्रत प्रसन्नोस्मि केदारं विद्धि मामिह

Transliteration

svapremayā sa saṃprokto vaśiṣṭhastāpasottamaḥ | dṛḍhavrata prasannosmi kedāraṃ viddhi māmiha

Translation

സ്വപ്രേമഭക്തിയാൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ തപസ്വിയായ വസിഷ്ഠൻ എന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞു: ‘ഹേ ദൃഢവ്രതാ, ഞാൻ പ്രസന്നനാണ്; ഇവിടെ എന്നെ കേദാരമായി അറിയുക.’

Word by Word

• sva-premayā: by (his) own affection
• sva-premayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + prema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'स्वस्य प्रेम' → 'by his own affection'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तद्-शब्द

• saṃproktaḥ: addressed/spoken (to)
• saṃproktaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √prac (धातु; प्रच्/प्रच्छ्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: 'addressed/spoken to'

• vaśiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha
• vaśiṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaśiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tāpasa-uttamaḥ: the best of ascetics
• tāpasa-uttamaḥ: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'तापसानाम् उत्तमः'

• dṛḍha-vrata: O firm-vowed one
• dṛḍha-vrata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'दृढं व्रतम् यस्य' (addressing)

• prasannaḥ: pleased
• prasannaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• kedāram: Kedāra
• kedāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• viddhi: know/understand
• viddhi: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

Speaker

Caṇḍikā (Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍikā manifests before Vasiṣṭha: a radiant goddess with trident and lion emblem, yet the scene also hints at Kedāra’s Śaiva identity—snowy peaks or a liṅga motif appearing in aura; Vasiṣṭha stands with folded hands, firm-vowed and serene.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā (Devī)
• Vasiṣṭha
• Kedāra (Kedāreśvara/Kedāra-kṣetra in Kāśī context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Loving devotion (prema) joined to firm vows (dṛḍha-vrata) culminates in direct divine revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedāra-kṣetra/Kedāreśvara) as situated within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on steadfast vrata and devotion that lead to the site’s sanctity.