Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । कथं स भगवान्रुद्रो द्रुहिणेन कृपांबुधिः । प्रार्थितोभूत्किमर्थं च तन्मे ब्रूहि षडानन

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | kathaṃ sa bhagavānrudro druhiṇena kṛpāṃbudhiḥ | prārthitobhūtkimarthaṃ ca tanme brūhi ṣaḍānana

Translation

Agastya berkata: “Bagaimanakah Bhagavan Rudra, lautan belas kasihan, telah dipohon oleh Druhiṇa (Brahmā), dan untuk tujuan apakah? Wahai Ṣaḍānana (Skanda), khabarkanlah kepadaku.”

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (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

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्रुहिणेन: by Druhiṇa (Brahmā)
• द्रुहिणेन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुहिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• कृपाम्बुधिः: ocean of compassion
• कृपाम्बुधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृपायाः अम्बुधिः = ocean of compassion)

• प्रार्थितः: was entreated/requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रार्थय् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• किमर्थम्: for what reason/why
• किमर्थम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb); तत्पुरुष-समास (कस्य अर्थः = for what reason)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana/Adhikari (to/for me; beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• षडानन: O Six-faced one (Skanda)
• षडानन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (षड् आननानि यस्य = six-faced)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama setting: Agastya, austere and radiant, asks Skanda (Ṣaḍānana) about Rudra’s being entreated by Brahmā; Skanda sits as a youthful divine teacher, spear and peacock emblem subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Druhiṇa (Brahmā)
• Skanda (Ṣaḍānana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic authority (Brahmā) turns to Rudra’s compassion in times of world-crisis, teaching humility and reliance on divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger chapter context belongs to Kāśī/Avimukta Mahākṣetra, though this verse itself introduces the inquiry rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a question that sets up the ensuing account.