Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । यत्त्वं प्रष्टुमना विप्र ज्ञातं ते तन्मनोगतम् । पिपृच्छिषुस्त्वं निर्वाणं गणौ तत्कथयिष्यतः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | yattvaṃ praṣṭumanā vipra jñātaṃ te tanmanogatam | pipṛcchiṣustvaṃ nirvāṇaṃ gaṇau tatkathayiṣyataḥ

Translation

Brahmā bersabda: Wahai vipra, apa pun yang engkau berniat tanyakan, isi hatimu telah Aku ketahui. Maka bertanyalah tentang nirvāṇa; kedua-dua gaṇa ini akan menghuraikannya kepadamu.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• यत्: that which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-निपात (relative particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• प्रष्टुमना: intending to ask
• प्रष्टुमना: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रष्टुम् (तुमुन्; √प्रच्छ्) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative, Singular); समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (प्रष्टुं मनः यस्य)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vocative, Singular)

• ज्ञातम्: is known
• ज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc, Singular)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative, Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc, Singular)

• मनोगतम्: gone into the mind; in your mind
• मनोगतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc, Singular); समासः तत्पुरुष (मनसि गतम्)

• पिपृच्छिषुः: wishing to ask
• पिपृच्छिषुः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: सन्-इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (Desiderative participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• निर्वाणम्: liberation (nirvāṇa)
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणौ: the two attendants
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन (Nominative, Dual)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative, Singular)

• कथयिष्यतः: will tell
• कथयिष्यतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implicit) / Vaikuṇṭha (as referenced destination via attendants)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, serene and all-knowing, gestures reassuringly to two radiant Viṣṇu-attendants standing nearby, indicating they will teach nirvāṇa; the brāhmaṇa’s fear softens into attentive readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nirvāṇa
• Gaṇa (two attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry into liberation is welcomed; divine wisdom is portrayed as knowing the seeker’s intent and guiding them to proper instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named here; the verse introduces a teaching sequence that later centers on Kāśī’s role in liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is instructional, directing the seeker to ask about nirvāṇa.