Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

पितस्त्रिलोचनं काश्यामर्चयित्वा दिनेदिने । आभ्यां सखीभ्यां सहिता मौनं त्यक्ष्यामि नान्यथा

Transliteration

pitastrilocanaṃ kāśyāmarcayitvā dinedine | ābhyāṃ sakhībhyāṃ sahitā maunaṃ tyakṣyāmi nānyathā

Translation

‘Wahai ayahanda, setelah hari demi hari menyembah Trilocana di Kāśī, bersama dua sahabat ini aku akan menunaikan mauna, ikrar berdiam diri—tidak selainnya.’

Word by Word

• pitaḥ: O father
• pitaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• trilocanam: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• trilocanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (trīṇi locanāni yasya) — ‘three-eyed (Śiva)’

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• arcayitvā: having worshipped
• arcayitvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु/अर्च्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative nuance possible in form arcay-)

• dine: on a day
• dine: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• dine: (each) day
• dine: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः—वितरणार्थे (day after day)

• ābhyām: with these two
• ābhyām: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचनम्; ‘with/by these two’

• sakhībhyām: with (two) friends
• sakhībhyām: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचनम्

• sahitā: accompanied
• sahitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (कृदन्त; सह धातु/सह्?; प्रचलित विशेषण ‘सहित’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/निष्पन्न विशेषण; ‘accompanied’

• maunam: silence (vow of silence)
• maunam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• tyakṣyāmi: I shall undertake/keep (lit. take up/maintain)
• tyakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु/त्यज्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Ratnāvalī (quoted within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī speaks to her father with firm resolve, pointing toward Kāśī’s Trilocana; behind her stand Prabhāvatī and Kalāvatī ready to accompany her; a Śiva temple silhouette and Gaṅgā-like sanctity are suggested.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes powerful when joined with regular worship and disciplined restraint—here, daily pūjā in Kāśī and a vow of silence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the worship of Trilocana (three-eyed Śiva) within the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily worship (dine dine arcana) of Trilocana in Kāśī and the observance of mauna (silence) as a niyama.