Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । मित्रावरुणसंभूत कथयामि कथां शृणु यथा सतीश्वरं लिंगं काश्यामाविर्बभूव ह

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | mitrāvaruṇasaṃbhūta kathayāmi kathāṃ śṛṇu yathā satīśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ kāśyāmāvirbabhūva ha

Translation

ସ୍କନ୍ଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ମିତ୍ର-ବରୁଣସମ୍ଭୂତ (ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ)! ମୁଁ କଥା କହୁଛି, ଶୁଣ; କାଶୀରେ ସତୀଶ୍ୱର ଲିଙ୍ଗ କିପରି ସାକ୍ଷାତ୍ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मित्रावरुणसम्भूत: born of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणसम्भूत: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र + वरुण + सम्भूत (कृदन्त; √भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘सम्भूत’ = उत्पन्नः; समासः—मित्रावरुणयोः सम्भूतः

• कथयामि: I narrate
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथा: how; in what manner
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (conjunction/adverb: ‘how/that’)

• सतीश्वरम्: (the) lord of Satī; Satī’s lord
• सतीश्वरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सती + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सत्याः ईश्वरः (सतीश्वरः) तद्-विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga; emblem
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• आविः: manifestly; openly
• आविः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आविः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘manifestly/clearly’)

• बभूव: became; appeared
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed; surely
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphasis)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Satīśvara (liṅga) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (addressed as Mitrāvaruṇa-sambhūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda begins a sacred narration to Agastya, announcing the manifestation of the Satīśvara liṅga in Kāśī; the setting evokes a quiet āśrama or tīrtha-bank with the aura of Avimukta.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Satīśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a realm of divine self-manifestation where Śiva’s liṅgas appear for the welfare of devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the place where the Satīśvara liṅga manifested.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is to listen attentively to the māhātmya narrative.