Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यावदित्थं स पुण्यात्मा शृणोति गणयोर्मुखात् । तावन्नेत्रातिथीभूतः सत्यलोको महोज्ज्वलः

Transliteration

yāvaditthaṃ sa puṇyātmā śṛṇoti gaṇayormukhāt | tāvannetrātithībhūtaḥ satyaloko mahojjvalaḥ

Translation

ఆ పుణ్యాత్ముడు ఆ ఇద్దరు గణుల ముఖమున పలికిన వాక్యములను యావత్తు వినుచుండెనో, తావత్తు మహోజ్జ్వలమైన సత్యలోకము అతని నేత్రములకు దృష్టి-అతిథివలె ప్రత్యక్షమై నిలిచెను।

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as / until
• yāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्ययम् (correlative indeclinable), काल/परिमाणार्थे “यावत्…तावत्”

• ittham: thus, in this manner
• ittham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (adverb of manner)

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

• puṇyātmā: the virtuous-souled one
• puṇyātmā: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—“पुण्यः आत्मा यस्य सः” (one whose soul is virtuous)

• śṛṇoti: he hears
• śṛṇoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• gaṇayoḥ: of the two gaṇas
• gaṇayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th) / द्विवचन; “गणयोः” (of the two attendants/gaṇas)

• mukhāt: from (their) mouth
• mukhāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान/स्रोतः (source)

• tāvat: so long / then
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्ययम् (correlative indeclinable) “यावत्…तावत्”

• netra-atithi-bhūtaḥ: become a feast for the eyes
• netra-atithi-bhūtaḥ: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + atithi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (भू धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) “भूतः”; तत्पुरुषसमासः—“नेत्राणाम् अतिथिः इव” (guest to the eyes = a sight)

• satyalokaḥ: Satyaloka
• satyalokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“सत्यस्य लोकः”

• mahā-ujjvalaḥ: very radiant
• mahā-ujjvalaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective of satyalokaḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ujjvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—“महान् उज्ज्वलः”

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda-to-Agastya, but this verse is narrative description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame typical) / in-scene: the virtuous brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A virtuous brāhmaṇa listens to two radiant Śiva-gaṇas; as their words flow, Satyaloka—brilliant, serene, and luminous—appears before his eyes like an honored guest.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa
• Satyaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and merit make higher spiritual realities perceptible; divine realms are revealed by grace when one listens to sacred instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, where sacred hearing and guidance lead to exalted spiritual outcomes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act emphasized is śravaṇa—devout listening to sacred speech.