Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । शिवशर्मन्महाभागसुतीर्थफलितद्रुम । लोकोऽत्र रमते विप्र सहसाक्षपुरी त्वियम्

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | śivaśarmanmahābhāgasutīrthaphalitadruma | loko'tra ramate vipra sahasākṣapurī tviyam

Translation

เหล่าคณะคณะ (คณะของพระศิวะ) กล่าวว่า: “โอ้ศิวศรมันผู้มีบุญญาธิการ ดุจพฤกษาที่อุดมด้วยผลแห่งทีรถะอันประเสริฐ! โอ้พราหมณ์ ผู้คนรื่นรมย์อยู่ ณ ที่นี้; ที่นี่แลคือสหัสรากษะปุรี”

Word by Word

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

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन

• शिवशर्मन्: O Śivaśarman
• शिवशर्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुतीर्थफलितद्रुम: O tree laden with the fruits of good pilgrimages (metaphor)
• सुतीर्थफलितद्रुम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तीर्थ + फलित + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (सुतीर्थैः फलितः द्रुम इव/यः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण सम्बोधन

• लोकः: the people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• रमते: delights, rejoices
• रमते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहसाक्षपुरी: the city of Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• सहसाक्षपुरी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष + पुरी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सहस्राक्षस्य पुरी = इन्द्रस्य पुरी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• इयम्: this (city)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrākṣa-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two Śiva-gaṇas address Śivaśarman, gesturing toward the city; behind them, a symbolic cosmic tree whose fruits are miniature tīrthas (ghāṭas, liṅgas, rivers) overlays the skyline, illustrating the metaphor.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa
• Śivaśarman
• Sahasrākṣa-purī
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha-filled place naturally becomes a source of joy and refuge for people, like a fruit-laden sacred tree.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sahasrākṣa-purī is explicitly named as the city being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse identifies and praises the place as rich in tīrtha-fruit (holy merit).