Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । शंकुकर्णे महाकाले चिरंतन विलंबिते । ज्ञात्वा सर्वज्ञनाथोथ प्राहैपीदपरौ गणौ

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | śaṃkukarṇe mahākāle ciraṃtana vilaṃbite | jñātvā sarvajñanāthotha prāhaipīdaparau gaṇau

Translation

స్కందుడు పలికెను—శంకుకర్ణుడు, మహాకాలుడు దీర్ఘకాలం ఆలస్యమైనప్పుడు, సర్వజ్ఞనాథుడు సంగతి గ్రహించి ఆ ఇద్దరు శ్రేష్ఠ గణులను ఉద్దేశించి పలికెను।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शङ्कुकर्णे: in/at Śaṅkukarṇa
• शङ्कुकर्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाकाले: in/at Mahākāla
• महाकाले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिरन्तन: ancient, long-standing
• चिरन्तन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिरन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying)

• विलम्बिते: delayed, lingering
• विलम्बिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलम्बित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• सर्वज्ञनाथः: the lord of the omniscient (one)
• सर्वज्ञनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• प्राह: said, spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/अह (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एपि: also (particle)
• एपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठभेद/निपात (particle; emphatic/also)

• इदपरौ: these two
• इदपरौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इद + पर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्राय (these two, the two here)

• गणौ: the two attendants (gaṇas)
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Skanda (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, the all-knowing Lord, perceives the prolonged delay of two gaṇas and prepares to dispatch other attendants; a celestial court atmosphere with gaṇas awaiting command.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śaṃkukarṇa
• Mahākāla
• Sarvajñanātha (Śiva)
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine purpose operates through Śiva’s attendants; delays themselves become part of Kāśī’s sacred unfolding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī broadly, with focus on the Śaṃkukarṇa and Mahākāla sacred complex/tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; this verse sets narrative context for subsequent actions.