Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स गत्वोत्तानचरणं क्षोणीशं प्रणनाम ह । दृष्ट्वोत्तमं तदुत्संगे निविष्टं जनकस्य वै

Transliteration

sa gatvottānacaraṇaṃ kṣoṇīśaṃ praṇanāma ha | dṛṣṭvottamaṃ tadutsaṃge niviṣṭaṃ janakasya vai

Translation

అతడు భూపతి ఉత్తానపాద రాజుని సమీపించి నమస్కరించాడు. తండ్రి ఒడిలో కూర్చున్న ఉత్తముడనే శ్రేష్ఠ బాలుణ్ని చూసి, అతనిపై ప్రసాదమైన అనుగ్రహాన్ని గ్రహించాడు.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having gone)

• उत्तानचरणम्: (one with) outstretched feet; feet extended
• उत्तानचरणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तान (प्रातिपदिक) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (uttānaḥ caraṇaḥ)

• क्षोणीशम्: lord of the earth; king
• क्षोणीशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोणी (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षोण्याः ईशः)

• प्रणनाम: bowed down
• प्रणनाम: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/then (particle)
• ह: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कथन-प्रत्यय/स्मरणार्थक

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• उत्तमम्: the best/excellent (one)
• उत्तमम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तत्: that (his/its)
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival sense), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (that)

• उत्सङ्गे: in the lap
• उत्सङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निविष्टम्: seated
• निविष्टम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; describing the seen one)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन (contextual); ‘seated/placed’

• जनकस्य: of the father
• जनकस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court: King Uttānapāda seated; the child Uttama on his lap; an approaching figure bows with folded hands, noticing the favored child and the intimacy of the lap-seat.

Characters & Entities

• Uttānapāda
• Dhruva
• Uttama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly favor is visible and unequal; the Purāṇic narrative prepares the seeker to turn from courtly privilege toward steadier spiritual refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework, which overall glorifies Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though this specific line is narrative setup in the Dhruva episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes a courtly scene and respectful salutation.