Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एकस्तंभमयं गेहमेकदारुविनिर्मितम् । तथा कुरु वरं त्वाष्ट्र यत्रेच्छा तत्र धारये

Transliteration

ekastaṃbhamayaṃ gehamekadāruvinirmitam | tathā kuru varaṃ tvāṣṭra yatrecchā tatra dhāraye

Translation

ഹേ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ത്വാഷ്ട്ര, ഒരൊറ്റ തൂണുള്ളതും ഒരൊറ്റ മരക്കഷണത്തിൽ നിന്നു നിർമ്മിച്ചതുമായ ഒരു ഗൃഹം ഉണ്ടാക്കുക; ഞാൻ ഇച്ഛിക്കുന്നിടത്ത് അതിനെ എടുത്തു വച്ച് കൊണ്ടുപോകാൻ കഴിയണം.

Word by Word

• एकस्तम्भमयम्: made of a single pillar
• एकस्तम्भमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-स्तम्भ-मय (प्रातिपदिक; एक + स्तम्भ + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘मय’ (made of) तत्पुरुष-समास

• गेहम्: house
• गेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एकदारुविनिर्मितम्: constructed from a single piece of wood
• एकदारुविनिर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-दारु-विनिर्मित (प्रातिपदिक; एक + दारु + विनिर्मित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘विनिर्मित’ (कृदन्त; वि-नि-√मा (धातु) + क्त) विशेषण; एकदारुणा विनिर्मितम्

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus)

• कुरु: make; do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वरम्: an excellent (one); a boon/choice thing
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे अपि (as ‘best/excellent thing’)

• त्वाष्ट्र: O Tvāṣṭra (son/descendant of Tvaṣṭṛ)
• त्वाष्ट्र: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वाष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘त्वष्टृ’-सम्बन्धी (descendant/son of Tvaṣṭṛ)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• इच्छा: desire; wish
• इच्छा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (correlative adverb: there)

• धारये: I hold/carry/wear
• धारये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (धारयते-प्रयोगे), अत्र ‘धारये’ रूपेण आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगः (I can hold/wear/carry)

Speaker

Guru-kanyā (continuing), within Skanda’s narration to Agastya (context of Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A miraculous house made from a single pillar and a single piece of wood—light enough to be carried and placed anywhere—crafted by the divine artisan at the maiden’s wish.

Characters & Entities

• Guru-kanyā
• Tvāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even wondrous achievements are framed as service; dharma esteems capability placed in the service of rightful authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu; this verse itself is not a direct tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request describing an extraordinary, portable dwelling.