Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

आरुह्यते न यानेन दिव्यरूपवराः खगाः । कैलासमभिसंजग्मुर्धर्ममापृच्छ्यतेऽमलाः

Transliteration

āruhyate na yānena divyarūpavarāḥ khagāḥ | kailāsamabhisaṃjagmurdharmamāpṛcchyate'malāḥ

Translation

ആ പക്ഷികൾ ഉത്തമ ദിവ്യരൂപം പ്രാപിച്ച് ശുദ്ധരായി; അവർക്കു യാതൊരു വാഹനവും കയറേണ്ടിവന്നില്ല. ധർമ്മം ചോദിക്കാനായി അവർ കൈലാസത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• आरुह्यते: is mounted; is ascended
• आरुह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• यानेन: by a vehicle
• यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यरूपवराः: having excellent divine forms
• दिव्यरूपवराः: Visheshya (Subject complement/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य-रूप-वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• खगाः: birds
• खगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कैलासम्: to Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभिसंजग्मुः: went towards; reached
• अभिसंजग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-सम्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• धर्मम्: Dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपृच्छ्य: having asked (leave)
• आपृच्छ्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having asked/taken leave’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अमलाः: pure; spotless
• अमलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narrator voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (likely Skanda narrating to Agastya, deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Transformed, radiant birds fly unaided toward snow-clad Kailāsa; the mountain glows with a subtle aura, suggesting Śiva’s presence. Their flight is purposeful—seeking Dharma, not spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Dharma
• Khaga (birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification leads naturally to dharma-jijñāsā (inquiry into righteousness), and divine proximity (Kailāsa) symbolizes the fruit of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is highlighted as Śiva’s sacred realm; the episode remains rooted in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa sacred narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes spiritual transformation and dharmic inquiry.