Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

अद्यास्य बलमालोक्यमिति ध्यात्वाब्रवीन्मुनिः । सत्यमुक्तं हि भवता गि रिसारंविवृण्वता

Transliteration

adyāsya balamālokyamiti dhyātvābravīnmuniḥ | satyamuktaṃ hi bhavatā gi risāraṃvivṛṇvatā

Translation

“ଆଜି ମୁଁ ତାହାର ବଳ ଦେଖିବି” ବୋଲି ଚିନ୍ତା କରି ମୁନି କହିଲେ: “ପର୍ବତମାନଙ୍କ ସାର ଉଦ୍‌ଘାଟନ କରି ଆପଣ ଯାହା କହିଛନ୍ତି, ତାହା ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ସତ୍ୟ।”

Word by Word

• अद्य: today / now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• अस्य: of this / his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) with उपसर्ग ‘आ’; अव्ययभावः; ‘having seen/observed’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• ध्यात्वा: having reflected
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; ‘having thought/meditated’

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (indeclinable adverbial use: ‘truly’)

• उक्तम्: said / spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/uttered’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• भवता: by you (sir)
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; आदरार्थक-प्रयोगः

• गिरिसारम्: the essence of mountains
• गिरिसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि-सार (प्रातिपदिक; गिरि + सार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विवृण्वता: by (you) explaining
• विवृण्वता: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √वृ (धातु; ‘to uncover/expound’)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘while explaining’

Speaker

A Muni (sage) addressing Vindhya (deduced from surrounding verses)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage, after inward reflection, speaks to another figure, acknowledging the truth of his exposition on the ‘essence of mountains’.

Characters & Entities

• Muni
• Vindhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True evaluation of greatness requires discernment; even correct speech must align with dharma and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it sits within the Kāśī-māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is conversational and evaluative.