Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

उड्डीय गिरिमाश्रित्यच्छन्नः कौतुकमैक्षत । ब्राह्मणान्प्रमथा नत्वा यातयातेतिचाब्रुवन्

Transliteration

uḍḍīya girimāśrityacchannaḥ kautukamaikṣata | brāhmaṇānpramathā natvā yātayāteticābruvan

Translation

Terbang pergi lalu berlindung di sebuah gunung, dia bersembunyi dan menyaksikan tontonan itu. Para Pramatha menunduk memberi hormat kepada para Brāhmaṇa lalu berkata, “Teruskan, teruskan!”

Word by Word

• उड्डीय: having flown up
• उड्डीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + डी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• गिरिम्: mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc. accusative singular)

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• छन्नः: hidden, covered
• छन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc. nominative singular)

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (neut. accusative singular)

• ऐक्षत: he saw, he looked
• ऐक्षत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (masc. accusative plural)

• प्रमथाः: the Pramathas
• प्रमथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural)

• नत्वा: having bowed to
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• यात: go!
• यात: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• यात: go! (repeated)
• यात: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपातः (quotative particle)

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

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra in peahen form flies to a nearby mountain, perches hidden among rocks/foliage, watching the sacrificial chaos below. Pramathas, with folded hands, bow theatrically to brāhmaṇas and shout ‘yātayāta’—a taunting encouragement to continue.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Brāhmaṇas
• mountain (giri)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid wrathful cosmic correction, dharma is shown by honoring Brāhmaṇas; respect for sacred roles is not abandoned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered narration, though this line itself is not naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the implied norm is brāhmaṇa-satkāra (reverence to Brāhmaṇas).