Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

गणा वूचतुः । भगवद्भक्तियुक्तानां किमज्ञातं भवादृशाम् । एतदेव हि नौ नाम यदुक्तं श्रीमता त्वया

Transliteration

gaṇā vūcatuḥ | bhagavadbhaktiyuktānāṃ kimajñātaṃ bhavādṛśām | etadeva hi nau nāma yaduktaṃ śrīmatā tvayā

Translation

ਗਣਾਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: “ਭਗਵਾਨ ਦੀ ਭਕਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਯੁਕਤ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਵਰਗਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਕੀ ਅਣਜਾਣ ਰਹਿ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ? ਹੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਮਾਨ, ਤੁਸੀਂ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿਹਾ, ਉਹੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਨਾਮ ਹਨ।”

Word by Word

• gaṇāḥ: the gaṇas (attendants)
• gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ūcatuḥ: said (the two said)
• ūcatuḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन

• bhagavadbhaktiyuktānām: of those endowed with devotion to the Lord
• bhagavadbhaktiyuktānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavat-bhakti + yukta (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भव; षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—bhagavat-bhakti (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: devotion to the Lord) + yukta (कर्मधारय: endowed with)

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ajñātam: unknown
• ajñātam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकालिक-विशेषण (unknown)

• bhavādṛśām: of people like you
• bhavādṛśām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat-ādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—bhavat + ādṛśa (तत्पुरुष: like you)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतवाचक-सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/just)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (for/indeed)

• nau: to us two / of us two
• nau: Sambandha (Genitive/Dative relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), द्विवचन; ‘of us two/to us two’

• nāma: indeed
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• uktam: said/spoken
• uktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śrīmatā: by you, the illustrious one
• śrīmatā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (by the illustrious one)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva’s Gaṇas (two attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame typical; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two gaṇas speak with respectful candor, acknowledging the brāhmaṇa’s devotion as a source of knowledge; their forms are otherworldly yet benevolent.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Gaṇas
• Puṇyaśīla
• Suśīla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti (devotion) is portrayed as a light of discernment—devotees perceive truth effortlessly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography, but this verse stresses devotion rather than a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the spiritual capacity born of devotion.