Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यावदुन्मील्य नयने पुरः पश्यति स ध्रुवः । तावद्ददर्श सप्तर्षीनतर्कित गतीन्वने

Transliteration

yāvadunmīlya nayane puraḥ paśyati sa dhruvaḥ | tāvaddadarśa saptarṣīnatarkita gatīnvane

Translation

ధ్రువుడు కళ్లను తెరిచి ముందుకు చూసిన వెంటనే, అరణ్యంలో సప్తర్షులను దర్శించాడు—వారి గతి సాధారణ ఊహకు అతీతమైనది।

Word by Word

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/काल-सीमावाचक-अव्यय — ‘as long as/until’

• उन्मील्य: having opened
• उन्मील्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-√मील् (मील् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive

• नयने: (his) two eyes
• नयने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन — Accusative dual

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of place

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्/√दृश् (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd sg

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name)

• तावत्: then/so long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तावत्-शब्दः, परिमाण/काल-साम्यवाचक-अव्यय — correlative ‘then/so much’

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd sg

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral) — qualifying ऋषीन्

• ऋषीन्: sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• अतर्कित: unthought-of, unexpected
• अतर्कित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तर्कित (√तर्क् धातु, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) नञ्-पूर्वक; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural (qualifying गतिन्)

• गतीन्: movements/ways
• गतीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural (used as attribute: ‘having such movements’)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

Speaker

Skanda to Agastya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣi-darśana (Saptaṛṣi-sannidhi) as a moving tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva looks forward; in the forest clearing appear seven radiant sages with matted hair and ascetic glow, moving with unearthly grace. Light filters through trees like a haloed canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Dhruva
• Saptarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a seeker turns inward and becomes ready, guidance appears—often through realized sages who embody dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a forest encounter within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates a visionary meeting with sages.