Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततो विलोकयामास तदागमविनिर्गमौ । केन मार्गेण विशतो दुर्गमेतौ पतत्त्रिणौ

Transliteration

tato vilokayāmāsa tadāgamavinirgamau | kena mārgeṇa viśato durgametau patattriṇau

Translation

Lalu ia memerhati keluar-masuk mereka, sambil berfikir: “Melalui jalan manakah dua ekor burung ini memasuki kubu yang sukar ditembusi ini?”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• vilokayāmāsa: he looked (observed)
• vilokayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (लोक् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘vi-’

• tat: those
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम; (एतयोः विशेषणम्)

• āgama-vinirgamau: the entry and the exit
• āgama-vinirgamau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgama (प्रातिपदिक) + vinirgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (आगमश्च विनिर्गमश्च)

• kena: by which
• kena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• mārgeṇa: path, route
• mārgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• viśataḥ: of (the two) entering
• viśataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (विश् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन; ‘of the two entering’

• durgam: the fort/stronghold
• durgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• etau: these two
• etau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• patattriṇau: the two birds
• patattriṇau: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patattrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame assumed; not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The hawk perches or hovers near the temple, eyes narrowed, watching the doorway and walls, puzzled by how the doves entered; the temple appears like a fortress with subtle luminous seams suggesting hidden passages.

Characters & Entities

• Śyena (hawk)
• Pārāvata couple
• Durgam (fort/refuge)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holy refuge is depicted as ‘durgama’—hard to penetrate—symbolizing the inviolability of sacred protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva sacred space is implied, where sanctuaries function like a ‘durga’ against harm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse advances the narrative tension and the idea of sacred inaccessibility to violence.