Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

मन्नामोच्चारणपरान्मत्कथार्पितसुश्रुतीन् । मद्दत्तचित्तसद्वृत्तीन्दृष्ट्वा क्षेत्रनिवासिनः

Transliteration

mannāmoccāraṇaparānmatkathārpitasuśrutīn | maddattacittasadvṛttīndṛṣṭvā kṣetranivāsinaḥ

Translation

അവരെ—എൻ നാമോച്ചാരണത്തിൽ നിരതരായി, എൻ കഥാശ്രവണത്തിന് അർപ്പിതമായ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ, എനിക്കർപ്പിത ചിത്തവും സദ്വൃത്തിയും ഉള്ളവരായി—കണ്ട് ക്ഷേത്രനിവാസികൾ ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मत्: my/of me
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular), सर्वनाम (pronoun) — ‘of me/my’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular) — समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• उच्चारण: uttering/pronunciation
• उच्चारण: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्+चर् (धातु) → उच्चारण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular) — भाववाचक (action-noun)

• परान्: intent on/devoted to
• परान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural) — विशेषण; ‘devoted/intent on’ (परः = तत्परः)

• मत्: my/of me
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular) — ‘of me/my’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• कथा: story/discourse
• कथा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular) — समासाङ्ग

• अर्पित: dedicated/offered
• अर्पित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्प् (धातु) → अर्पित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural) — भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; ‘offered/dedicated’

• सुश्रुतीन्: good listeners
• सुश्रुतीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुश्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural) — ‘good hearers/listeners’

• मत्: my/by me
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular) — ‘by me/of me’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• दत्त: given
• दत्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/समासाङ्ग; ‘given’ (in compound)

• चित्त: mind
• चित्त: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular) — समासाङ्ग; ‘mind’

• सत्: good/virtuous
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘good/virtuous’

• वृत्तीन्: conduct/ways
• वृत्तीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural) — ‘conduct/ways’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having seen’

• क्षेत्र: the sacred field (Kāśī)
• क्षेत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनार्थे समासाङ्ग — ‘in the sacred field (Kāśī)’

• निवासिनः: residents
• निवासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि+वस् (धातु) → निवासिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural) — ‘residents/dwellers’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (context leading to Kukkuṭamaṇḍapa/Muktimaṇḍapa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (explicitly addressed in nearby verse 48.86; dialogue likely continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the lanes/precinct of Kāśī, kṣetra-nivāsins observe devotees absorbed in Śiva’s name and stories, their demeanor gentle and disciplined, suggesting an unseen sanctifying presence.

Characters & Entities

• Muktimaṇḍapa (context)
• Kāśī-kṣetra residents
• Nāma-japa (my Name)
• Kathā-śravaṇa (hearing sacred stories)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity is marked by nāma-japa, devoted listening to dharmic kathā, and steady good conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra setting around Muktimaṇḍapa is implied as the arena where such bhakti is recognized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-ucchāraṇa (japa/chanting) and kathā-śravaṇa (hearing sacred narratives) are highlighted.