Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । शुक्रसंबंधिनी देवौ कथा श्रावि मया शुभा । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण प्रीणिते श्रवणे मम

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | śukrasaṃbaṃdhinī devau kathā śrāvi mayā śubhā | yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa prīṇite śravaṇe mama

Translation

శివశర్ముడు పలికెను—హే దేవీ! శుక్రునితో సంబంధమైన ఈ శుభకథను నేను వినిపించితిని; దీని కేవలం శ్రవణమాత్రముతోనే, వినుచుండగానే నా హృదయం పరమానందమొందుచున్నది।

Word by Word

• śivaśarmā: Śivaśarmā
• śivaśarmā: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaśarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śukra-saṃbandhinī: connected with Śukra
• śukra-saṃbandhinī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of kathā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukra + saṃbandhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘शुक्रसम्बन्धिनी’ = connected with Śukra

• devau: O two gods
• devau: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• kathā: the story
• kathā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śrāvi: was heard
• śrāvi: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist, passive/impersonal usage), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रावि’ = was heard/has been heard

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana/Agent-in-passive (by me)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (to kathā)

• yasyāḥ: of which
• yasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• śravaṇa-mātreṇa: by mere hearing
• śravaṇa-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रवणमात्रेण’ = by mere hearing

• prīṇite: (you two) are pleased
• prīṇite: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), आत्मनेपद; ‘they/you two are pleased’

• śravaṇe: in/at hearing
• śravaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śivaśarman

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘O goddess’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarman addresses a goddess (Devī) in a calm dialogue setting—perhaps an āśrama or shrine—expressing that the very act of narrating/hearing the Śukra-related story brings immediate joy.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• Śukra
• Devī (unnamed goddess addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening itself is meritorious—śravaṇa brings immediate inner joy and devotional purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse opens a new chapter within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa stream; the māhātmya intent remains tied to Kāśī’s culture of sacred narration and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa of śubha-kathā—hearing auspicious Purāṇic accounts as a dharmic practice.