Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

मृडान्यापि तथेत्युक्ता राज्ञी भक्त्यातितुष्टया । अथ कालेन तनयं मूलर्क्षे साप्यजीजनत्

Transliteration

mṛḍānyāpi tathetyuktā rājñī bhaktyātituṣṭayā | atha kālena tanayaṃ mūlarkṣe sāpyajījanat

Translation

ରାଣୀଙ୍କ ଭକ୍ତିରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ମୃଡାନୀ (ପାର୍ବତୀ) କହିଲେ—“ତଥାସ୍ତୁ।” ପରେ ସମୟ ଆସିଲେ ରାଣୀ ମୂଳ ନକ୍ଷତ୍ରରେ ପୁତ୍ରକୁ ଜନ୍ମ ଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• mṛḍānī: Mṛḍānī (Pārvatī)
• mṛḍānī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛḍānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular; name of goddess)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (indeclinable; also/even)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable; thus)

• iti: thus (quoting)
• iti: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative particle)

• uktā: having said/said
• uktā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (having been said/spoken)

• rājñī: the queen
• rājñī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājñī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular; queen)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• ati-tuṣṭayā: being very pleased
• ati-tuṣṭayā: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + tuṣṭa (कृदन्त; tuṣ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; तुष् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (very pleased; agreeing with rājñī)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; then)

• kālena: in time/after some time
• kālena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular; in course of time/after some time)

• tanayam: a son
• tanayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• mūla-rkṣe: in (the nakṣatra) Mūla
• mūla-rkṣe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; मूल-नाम्नि नक्षत्रे इति तत्पुरुषः (locative singular; in the Mūla asterism)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular; she)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-अर्थ (indeclinable; also)

• ajījanat: gave birth (to)
• ajījanat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense not intended here (she gave birth/produced)

Speaker

Narrator voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deductively: Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī (Mṛḍānī) joyfully grants the boon; later the queen gives birth under the Mūla nakṣatra, with attendants noting the lunar mansion.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛḍānī (Pārvatī)
• Mūla Nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is shown as immediately efficacious: divine assent (“tathāstu”) ripens into worldly fulfillment in due time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī), but this verse itself highlights the boon’s fruition rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse notes devotion and the timing of birth under Mūla nakṣatra.