Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा हरेर्वाक्यमग्निबिंदुर्महातपाः । प्रणिपत्य महाभक्त्या पुनः पप्रच्छ माधवम्

Transliteration

iti śrutvā harervākyamagnibiṃdurmahātapāḥ | praṇipatya mahābhaktyā punaḥ papraccha mādhavam

Translation

ਹਰੀ ਦੇ ਬਚਨ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਮਹਾਤਪਸਵੀ ਅਗਨਿਬਿੰਦੂ ਨੇ ਮਹਾਂ ਭਕਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਸਿਰ ਨਿਵਾਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਫਿਰ ਮਾਧਵ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੜ ਪੁੱਛਿਆ।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle/इत्यर्थक-निपात)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); श्रु-धातोः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having heard)

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• अग्निबिन्दुः: Agnibindu
• अग्निबिन्दुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निबिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• महातपाः: the great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—महान् + तपाः (great ascetic)

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); प्र+नि+पत्; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having bowed down)

• महाभक्त्या: with great devotion
• महाभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; समासः—महा + भक्ति (great devotion)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• माधवम्: Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; संबोधित-देवता (name of Viṣṇu)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual narration within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agnibindu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agnibindu, an austere sage with matted hair and bark garments, bows with folded hands before Viṣṇu/Mādhava, who sits serenely as a divine teacher; the Gaṅgā and Kāśī ghāṭas form a luminous backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Agnibindu
• Mādhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening and humble questioning are honored paths to receiving deeper knowledge of dharma and tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing dialogue concerns Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇipāta) and devotional inquiry as preparatory disciplines for receiving teaching.