Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

अत्रत्यस्यैव हि मुने गृहिणी गृहमेधिनः । नित्यं वीक्षे चरंतं त्वां भिक्षां शिष्यगणैर्वृतम्

Transliteration

atratyasyaiva hi mune gṛhiṇī gṛhamedhinaḥ | nityaṃ vīkṣe caraṃtaṃ tvāṃ bhikṣāṃ śiṣyagaṇairvṛtam

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ, ഞാൻ ഈ സ്ഥലത്തുള്ള ഒരു ഗൃഹസ്ഥന്റെ ഗൃഹിണിയാണ്. നിത്യം ശിഷ്യഗണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട് നിങ്ങൾ ഭിക്ഷയ്ക്കായി സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത് ഞാൻ കാണുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अत्रत्यस्य: of this place/one who is from here
• अत्रत्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्रत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle: 'only/indeed')

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (causal/emphatic particle)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• गृहिणी: the housewife
• गृहिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गृहमेधिनः: of the householder
• गृहमेधिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial accusative: 'always')

• वीक्षे: I see
• वीक्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चरन्तम्: walking/going about
• चरन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि विशेषण

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भिक्षाम्: alms
• भिक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (गत्यर्थे/प्रयोजनार्थे)

• शिष्य-गणैः: by/with groups of disciples
• शिष्य-गणैः: Sahakaraka (Instrument/Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'group of disciples'), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• वृतम्: surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'त्वाम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

A local housewife (gṛhiṇī) in Kāśī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the frame narration; in-scene listener is the muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī householder’s wife speaks respectfully to a sage who walks for alms with disciples; narrow lanes, courtyard threshold, alms-bowl, and attentive disciples.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Muni (unnamed)
• Disciples (śiṣyagaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the daily sacred interface between householders and renunciants through bhikṣā, sustaining dharma in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, shown as a living spiritual ecosystem where alms and discipleship are part of ordinary life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā (mendicant alms-round) and the implied duty of householders to offer food/charity.