Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

इति ब्राह्मणवेषेण वाराणस्यां महाधिया । द्रुहिणेन स्थितं तावद्यावद्विश्वेश्वरागमः

Transliteration

iti brāhmaṇaveṣeṇa vārāṇasyāṃ mahādhiyā | druhiṇena sthitaṃ tāvadyāvadviśveśvarāgamaḥ

Translation

ଏହିପରି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣବେଷ ଧାରଣ କରି ମହାଧୀ ଦ୍ରୁହିଣ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମା) ବାରାଣସୀରେ ବିଶ୍ୱେଶ୍ୱର (ଶିବ) ଆଗମନ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ରହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• brāhmaṇa-veṣeṇa: by/with the guise of a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇa-veṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + veṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (brāhmaṇasya veṣaḥ)

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• mahā-dhiyā: with great intelligence
• mahā-dhiyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (mahā dhiḥ)

• druhiṇena: by Druhiṇa (Brahmā)
• druhiṇena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druhiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• sthitam: stood/remained
• sthitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि अर्थ (stood/remaining)

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/कालवाचक (so long/that long)

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे कालवाचक (until/as long as)

• viśveśvara-āgamaḥ: the arrival of Viśveśvara
• viśveśvara-āgamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + āgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (viśveśvarasya āgamaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) under Viśveśvara’s lordship

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor / Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, veiled as a learned brāhmaṇa, stands in a Kāśī lane near shrines, quietly waiting; the atmosphere is charged with expectancy for Viśveśvara’s arrival.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Druhiṇa (Brahmā)
• Viśveśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beings themselves honor Kāśī; the city is portrayed as a meeting-ground of highest deities and dharmic purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī broadly, with the impending focus on Viśveśvara’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse advances the narrative of Brahmā’s stay and Śiva’s arrival.