Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा दक्षिणामाशां सनाथामकरोन्मुनिः । निजैश्चरणविन्यासैस्तया साध्व्या तपोनिधिः

Transliteration

ityuktvā dakṣiṇāmāśāṃ sanāthāmakaronmuniḥ | nijaiścaraṇavinyāsaistayā sādhvyā taponidhiḥ

Translation

இவ்வாறு கூறி முனிவர் தென் திசையை காவலுடன் அமைத்தார். தவத்தின் நிதியான அவர், அந்த சாத்வியுடன் தம் அடியெடுப்புகளால் முன்னே சென்றார்.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund): 'having said'

• दक्षिणाम्: southern
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with आशाम्)

• आशाम्: direction, quarter
• आशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सनाथाम्: having a protector
• सनाथाम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (with a protector/with lord)

• अकरोत्: made
• अकरोत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निजैः: with his own
• निजैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with चरणविन्यासैः)

• चरण-विन्यासैः: by (his) foot-placements
• चरण-विन्यासैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चरणानां विन्यासैः = placements of feet)

• तया: by that (woman/that one)
• तया: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साध्व्या: by the virtuous woman
• साध्व्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपोनिधिः: the treasure of austerity (the great ascetic)
• तपोनिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः निधिः = treasure of austerity)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇāpatha (as sanctified by Agastya’s passage)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Audience, implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya strides southward, the southern direction personified as newly protected; beside him walks his virtuous wife, while the path opens under his footprints.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Lopāmudrā (implied)
• Dakṣiṇā diś (the South)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The movement of a dharmic sage sanctifies space; righteousness itself becomes protection for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse frames the South as spiritually ‘secured’ by Agastya’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies the merit of accompanying the righteous and undertaking pilgrim-journeys in a dharmic way.