Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

काशीश्वरस्य तनयः प्रतीतोऽस्मि कुशध्वजः । जाति स्मरस्ततो राज्ये क्रमात्प्राप्याहमैश्वरम्

Transliteration

kāśīśvarasya tanayaḥ pratīto'smi kuśadhvajaḥ | jāti smarastato rājye kramātprāpyāhamaiśvaram

Translation

കാശിരാജാവിന്റെ പുത്രനായ ഞാൻ 'കുശധ്വജൻ' എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രശസ്തനാണ്. പൂർവ്വജന്മസ്മരണയുള്ള ഞാൻ ക്രമേണ രാജ്യത്ത് ഐശ്വര്യവും അധികാരവും നേടി.

Word by Word

• काशीश्वरस्य: of the lord of Kāśī
• काशीश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘काश्याः ईश्वरः’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• तनयः: son
• तनयः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रतीतः: known/renowned
• प्रतीतः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रसिद्धः/ज्ञातः’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कुशध्वजः: Kuśadhvaja (proper name)
• कुशध्वजः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘कुशः ध्वजः यस्य सः’/‘whose banner is kuśa’)—नाम

• जातिम्: (my former) birth/status
• जातिम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्मरः: remembering
• स्मरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्मरन्’ इत्यर्थः

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरम्/तस्मात् (then/thereafter)

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्रमात्: gradually/in due course
• क्रमात्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘क्रमेण’ (gradually)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having obtained)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऐश्वरम्: sovereignty/power
• ऐश्वरम्: Karman (Object of prāpya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘ऐश्वर्यं/राज्याधिकारः’

Speaker

Kuśadhvaja

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prince in royal court attire declares his name Kuśadhvaja, son of the lord of Kāśī; behind him, a faint symbolic overlay of the Śiva temple swing hints at the past life; ministers and court witness his rise to sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśadhvaja
• Kāśī
• Kāśīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual merit and right conduct can mature gradually into rightful authority; remembrance of past lives signals accumulated saṃskāras.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi) is invoked through the mention of its ruler, Kāśīśvara, situating the narrative in Kāśī’s sacred milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the speaker’s identity and karmic maturity (jāti-smara).