Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्तिरुवाच । इति शृण्वन्कथां रम्यां शिवशर्माऽथ माथुरः । मुक्तिपुर्यां सुसंस्नातो मायापुर्यां गतासुकः

Transliteration

agastiruvāca | iti śṛṇvankathāṃ ramyāṃ śivaśarmā'tha māthuraḥ | muktipuryāṃ susaṃsnāto māyāpuryāṃ gatāsukaḥ

Translation

अगस्ती म्हणाले—अशी रम्य कथा ऐकत असता मथुरेचा शिवशर्मा मुक्तिपुरीत उत्तम स्नान करून हर्षित मनाने मायापुरीकडे निघून गेला।

Word by Word

• अगस्तिः: Agastya
• अगस्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• शृण्वन्: hearing
• शृण्वन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• रम्याम्: delightful
• रम्याम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying कथाम्)

• शिवशर्मा: Śivaśarmā (proper name)
• शिवशर्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य शर्म) नामरूपेण

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• माथुरः: the man from Mathurā
• माथुरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माथुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); जातिवाचक/देशज (a man from Mathurā)

• मुक्तिपुर्याम्: in the city of liberation
• मुक्तिपुर्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः पुरी)

• सुसंस्नातः: well-bathed
• सुसंस्नातः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु + सम्-√स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग: सम्, उपपद: सु (intensifier)

• मायापुर्याम्: in Māyāpurī
• मायापुर्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मायायाः पुरी)

• गतासुकः: lifeless/dead
• गतासुकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत + असुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव: ‘गताः असवः यस्य’ (one whose life-breaths have gone)

Speaker

Agastya (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muktipurī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage audience within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya narrates as Śivaśarmā, a pilgrim from Mathurā, completes a purifying bath in Kāśī and sets out with lightness of heart toward Māyāpurī—shown as a road leading from Gaṅgā-ghāṭas to distant temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Śivaśarmā
• Mathurā
• Muktipurī (Kāśī)
• Māyāpurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening (śravaṇa) and tīrtha-bathing (snāna) are portrayed as transforming the pilgrim’s inner state—leading to ease, joy, and auspicious onward journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised indirectly through the epithet “Muktipurī,” the city that grants liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in Muktipurī/Kāśī is mentioned as an auspicious act.