Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्सुराणां या कोटिः श्रुति समीरिता । प्रतीक्षते साऽवसरं सेवायै प्रत्यहंत्विह

Transliteration

trayastriṃśatsurāṇāṃ yā koṭiḥ śruti samīritā | pratīkṣate sā'vasaraṃ sevāyai pratyahaṃtviha

Translation

หมู่เทพสามสิบสาม “โกฏิ” ที่พระเวทกล่าวไว้ ยืนคอยอยู่ที่นี่ทุกวัน เพื่อโอกาสได้ถวายการปรนนิบัติรับใช้

Word by Word

• trayastriṃśat-surāṇām: of the thirty-three gods
• trayastriṃśat-surāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayastriṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sura (सुर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रयस्त्रिंशतां सुराणाम्)

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• koṭiḥ: a crore; multitude
• koṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (कोटि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śrutiḥ: the Veda/tradition (hearing)
• śrutiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (श्रुति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• samīritā: proclaimed
• samīritā: Karma (Object/कर्म) in passive construction
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-īr (सम्+ईर् धातु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Singular; ‘having been proclaimed/uttered’

• pratīkṣate: waits for; expects
• pratīkṣate: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-īkṣ (प्रति+ईक्ष् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• sā: she/that (crore)
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• avasaram: an opportunity
• avasaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avasara (अवसर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• sevāyai: for service
• sevāyai: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā (सेवा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• pratyaham: every day
• pratyaham: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + ahan (प्रति + अहन्)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (प्रति अहः)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis/contrast)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (इह अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant vision of Kāśī where hosts of devas stand at the ready near ghāṭas and temples, waiting for a chance to serve—holding flywhisks, lamps, garlands—while pilgrims move through the sacred lanes.

Characters & Entities

• Trayastriṃśat (the thirty-three gods)
• Śruti (Veda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the sacred—especially in a holy kṣetra—is so exalted that even the gods seek it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised as the place where devas themselves assemble for seva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, ‘sevā’ (reverent service) is upheld as a daily ideal, though no specific rite is detailed.