Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अथनंदिनमाहूय देवदेव उमाधवः । प्रोवाच नंदिन्विज्ञायागत्य ब्रूहि कुतो रवः

Transliteration

athanaṃdinamāhūya devadeva umādhavaḥ | provāca naṃdinvijñāyāgatya brūhi kuto ravaḥ

Translation

Lalu Dewa segala dewa, Tuhan kepada Umā, memanggil Nandin dan bersabda: “Wahai Nandin, selidikilah dan datang kembali—katakan kepadaku, dari manakah bunyi ini timbul?”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तर (then/now)

• नन्दिनम्: Nandin
• नन्दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having called/summoned)

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• उमाधवः: Umā’s husband (Śiva)
• उमाधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उमायाः धवः)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष-भूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• नन्दिन्: O Nandin
• नन्दिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• विज्ञाय: having found out
• विज्ञाय: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having ascertained/known)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having come)

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (2nd person singular)

• कुतः: from where
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्न-स्थान/हेतु (whence/from where)

• रवः: sound, noise
• रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (narrator); direct speech by Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandin

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene yet authoritative, gestures to summon Nandin; Nandin stands attentive, ready to depart; the background suggests a mandapa with hanging bells still vibrating.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Umā
• Nandin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine household is portrayed as orderly and purposeful—Śiva directs his attendant to investigate an auspicious sign.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains within Kāśī’s Muktimaṇḍapa narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative instruction to Nandin to identify the source of the sound.