Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । सर्वज्ञ हृदयानंद गौरीचुंबितमूर्धज । तारकांतक षड्वक्त्र तारिणे भद्रकारिणे

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | sarvajña hṛdayānaṃda gaurīcuṃbitamūrdhaja | tārakāṃtaka ṣaḍvaktra tāriṇe bhadrakāriṇe

Translation

ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ କହିଲେ— ହେ ସର୍ବଜ୍ଞ, ହୃଦୟାନନ୍ଦ! ଗୌରୀଚୁମ୍ବିତ ଶିରୋଧର; ହେ ତାରକାନ୍ତକ, ଷଡ୍ବକ୍ତ୍ର ପ୍ରଭୁ, ତାରିଣେ, ଭଦ୍ରକାରିଣେ—ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• सर्वज्ञ: O omniscient one
• सर्वज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृदयानन्द: O joy of the heart
• हृदयानन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya-ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: हृदयस्य आनन्दः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गौरीचुम्बितमूर्धज: O one whose hair/topknot is kissed by Gaurī
• गौरीचुम्बितमूर्धज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī-cumbita-mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (गौरीया चुम्बितः मूर्धजः यस्य/अथवा 'गौरीचुम्बितः मूर्धजः'—समासप्रयोग), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तारकान्तक: O slayer of Tāraka
• तारकान्तक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka-antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तारकस्य अन्तकः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• षड्वक्त्र: O six-faced one
• षड्वक्त्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ-vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (षट् वक्त्राणि यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तारिणे: to the savior
• तारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārin (प्रातिपदिक; √tṝ (तॄ) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भद्रकारिणे: to the doer of good
• भद्रकारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra-kārin (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ (कृ))
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भद्रं करोति), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Agastya stands with folded hands, addressing six-faced Skanda adorned with spear (śakti), while Pārvatī affectionately touches or ‘kisses’ his head; the aura suggests protection and auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (implied addressee)
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent praise (stuti) prepares the listener for sacred instruction and acknowledges the deity as savior and giver of auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tīrtha in this verse; it introduces the Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue that will discuss Kāśī’s sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a devotional invocation and praise.