Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

उवाच चापि ब्रह्माणं नितरां ब्राह्मणप्रियः । सर्वज्ञनाथो लोकात्मा वरं वरय लोककृत्

Transliteration

uvāca cāpi brahmāṇaṃ nitarāṃ brāhmaṇapriyaḥ | sarvajñanātho lokātmā varaṃ varaya lokakṛt

Translation

അവൻ ബ്രഹ്മാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു—ബ്രാഹ്മണപ്രിയൻ, സർവ്വജ്ഞനാഥൻ, ലോകാത്മാവ്, ലോകകർത്താവ്—‘വരം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുക’ എന്ന്.

Word by Word

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नितराम्: exceedingly; greatly
• नितराम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नितराम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: exceedingly)

• ब्राह्मणप्रियः: dear to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणप्रियः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणानां प्रियः

• सर्वज्ञनाथः: the all-knowing lord
• सर्वज्ञनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वज्ञः नाथः (the all-knowing lord)

• लोकात्मा: the soul of the world
• लोकात्मा: Visheshana (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य आत्मा

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरय: choose; ask for
• वरय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; धातोः ‘वृ’ (choose)

• लोककृत्: creator of the world
• लोककृत्: Visheshana (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + कृत् (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘कृत्’ (doer/maker); समासः—लोकं करोति इति

Speaker

Skanda (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context); Satīśvara episode

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, pleased, addresses Brahmā with affectionate authority, inviting him to choose a boon; the scene emphasizes Śiva’s cosmic majesty and benevolence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Deveśa/Śiva (implied as speaker within narrative)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is portrayed as compassionate and boon-giving, honoring dharma and those devoted to sacred learning and priestly virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative points toward Kāśī and Satīśvara; this verse itself is a divine dialogue scene.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the boon-offering moment following austerity.