Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तस्तेन स वने तापसो ब्रह्मचारिणा । कारुण्यपूर्णहृदयो यथोक्तमुपदिष्टवान्

Transliteration

ityuktastena sa vane tāpaso brahmacāriṇā | kāruṇyapūrṇahṛdayo yathoktamupadiṣṭavān

Translation

വനത്തിൽ ആ ബ്രഹ്മചാരിയുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ടപ്പോൾ, കരുണ നിറഞ്ഞ ഹൃദയമുള്ള തപസ്വി ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടതുപോലെ തന്നെ ഉപദേശം നൽകി।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यन्त-निपात / quotative particle)

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Predicate participle of सः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (having been said/addressed)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent/instrument: by him)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative)

• तापसः: the ascetic
• तापसः: Karta (Apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative)

• ब्रह्मचारिणा: by the brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारिणा: Karana (By the brahmacārin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental)

• कारुण्य-पूर्ण-हृदयः: one whose heart is full of compassion
• कारुण्य-पूर्ण-हृदयः: Visheshana (Qualifier of तापसः/सः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कारुण्येन पूर्णं हृदयं यस्य सः)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुल्य/प्रकारवाचक; 'as')

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/standard for instruction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; (as said)

• उपदिष्टवान्: instructed
• उपदिष्टवान्: Karta (Predicate of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle active), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (one who has instructed)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda speaking to Agastya, implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta influence)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic, moved by compassion, leans slightly forward and begins to instruct; the brahmacārin listens attentively in the forest hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Tāpasa
• Brahmacārin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True teachers respond with compassion and give fitting guidance when approached with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī; this verse introduces the compassionate instruction that supports that praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it marks the beginning of upadeśa (instruction).