Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कौस्तुभोद्भासितहृदः पीतकौशेयवाससः । ध्यानात्तेजोमयं विश्वं तेनैक्षि नृपसूनुना

Transliteration

kaustubhodbhāsitahṛdaḥ pītakauśeyavāsasaḥ | dhyānāttejomayaṃ viśvaṃ tenaikṣi nṛpasūnunā

Translation

कौस्तुभमणिप्रभाप्रकाशितहृदयः पीतकौशेयवसनधारकः स नृपसूनुः ध्यानयोगेन तेजोमयं समस्तं विश्वं तेनैव ददर्श।

Word by Word

• कौस्तुभ-उद्भासित-हृदः: whose heart is illumined by the Kaustubha jewel
• कौस्तुभ-उद्भासित-हृदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौस्तुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भासित (कृदन्त, क्त) + हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कौस्तुभेन उद्भासितं हृदयं यस्य)

• पीत-कौशेय-वाससः: wearing yellow silk garments
• पीत-कौशेय-वाससः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + कौशेय (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पीतं कौशेयं वासो यस्य)

• ध्यानात्: from/through meditation
• ध्यानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

• तेजोमयम्: made of radiance
• तेजोमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऐक्षि: he saw/beheld
• ऐक्षि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नृप-सूनुना: by the king’s son
• नृप-सूनुना: Karana/Agent-associate (Instrumental of agent/सहकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य सूनुः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A child-prince in deep meditation beholds Viṣṇu: chest blazing with Kaustubha, draped in yellow silk; the surrounding cosmos appears as a field of pure light radiating outward from the deity’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda/Viṣṇu (implied by Kaustubha)
• Dhruva (as prince)
• Kaustubha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation ripens into divine vision: reality is experienced as tejas (spiritual light) when devotion becomes steady.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account belongs to Kāśī-kṣetra’s Māhātmya framework, presenting Kāśī as a power-field for dhyāna and darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the verse emphasizes dhyāna (meditation) as the transformative practice.