Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा स गत्वा तत्समीपतः । दंडवत्प्रणिपत्याथ तं बभाषे तदांत्यजः

Transliteration

iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā sa gatvā tatsamīpataḥ | daṃḍavatpraṇipatyātha taṃ babhāṣe tadāṃtyajaḥ

Translation

അവരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് അവൻ ആ മനുഷ്യന്റെ സമീപത്തേക്ക് ചെന്നു. പിന്നെ ദണ്ഡവത് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത് ആ അന്ത്യജൻ അവനോട് പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उक्त्यर्थे (quotative particle: “thus”)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having heard)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having gone)

• तत्समीपतः: near him
• तत्समीपतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मिन्-सम्बन्धे (ablatival adverb) ‘तत्-समīप-तः’ = तस्य समीपात्/समीपे (near him)

• दण्डवत्: prostrating like a staff
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थे (adverb: “like a staff”, i.e., prostrate)

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having bowed down)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereupon)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: then)

• अन्त्यजः: the outcaste (antyaja)
• अन्त्यजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A marginalized pilgrim approaches a silent ascetic/brāhmaṇa near a Kāśī shrine or ghat, performing full prostration; onlookers indicate the encounter is significant.

Characters & Entities

• antyaja
• praṇipāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility (full prostration) and earnest seeking are portrayed as essential attitudes when approaching dharma and sacred persons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within Kāśī’s sacred landscape; earlier it situates the pilgrim at Cakrasarasa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-praṇipāta (full prostration) is shown as a devotional gesture when seeking guidance or offering.