Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स्कंदागस्त्योश्च संवादो मणिकर्ण्याः समुद्भवः । ततस्तु गंगामाहात्म्यं ततो दशहरास्तवः

Transliteration

skaṃdāgastyośca saṃvādo maṇikarṇyāḥ samudbhavaḥ | tatastu gaṃgāmāhātmyaṃ tato daśaharāstavaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ସ୍କନ୍ଦ ଓ ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟଙ୍କ ସମ୍ବାଦ, ମଣିକର୍ଣୀର ଉଦ୍ଭବକଥା; ତାହାପରେ ଗଙ୍ଗାର ମାହାତ୍ମ୍ୟ, ଏବଂ ପରେ ଦଶହରାର ସ୍ତବଗୁଡ଼ିକ।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दागस्त्योः: of Skanda and Agastya
• स्कन्दागस्त्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (स्कन्दश्च अगस्त्यश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संवादः: dialogue; conversation
• संवादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मणिकर्ण्याः: of Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समुद्भवः: origin; arising
• समुद्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्-उद्-√भू (धातु) + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भाव/कर्तृवाचक

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) स्थान/क्रमवाचक: 'thereafter/from that'

• तु: but; then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• गङ्गामाहात्म्यम्: the greatness/glory of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गामाहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गामाहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) = गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः माहात्म्यम्)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) क्रमवाचक

• दशहरास्तवः: hymns of the Daśaharā (festival)
• दशहरास्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशहरास्तव (प्रातिपदिक) = दशहरा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध (दशहरायाः स्तवाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogic setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā (Kāśī) / Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A textual ‘table of contents’ verse visualized as a sequence: Skanda conversing with Agastya; emergence/origin of Maṇikarṇikā; Gaṅgā’s greatness; and devotees singing Daśaharā hymns on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Maṇikarṇī
• Gaṅgā
• Daśaharā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is taught through narrative: knowing origins of tīrthas and praising Gaṅgā is framed as dharmic, merit-giving knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇī (within Kāśī’s sacred landscape) and the Gaṅgā as the central river-tīrtha of Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daśaharā stava indicates devotional praise associated with the Daśaharā observance/festival, commonly linked with Gaṅgā worship.