Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । सखे सुखं समाख्यावो नानाख्येयं तवाग्रतः । अध्वखेदापनोदाय पुनरस्याः पुरः कथाम्

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | sakhe sukhaṃ samākhyāvo nānākhyeyaṃ tavāgrataḥ | adhvakhedāpanodāya punarasyāḥ puraḥ kathām

Translation

เหล่าคณะคณะ (คณะ) กล่าวว่า: “สหายเอ๋ย เราจักเล่าให้ท่านฟังต่อหน้า ด้วยความยินดี ในสิ่งที่ควรเล่า เพื่อขจัดความเหนื่อยล้าระหว่างทาง จงฟังเถิด—เราจะเล่าตำนานของนครนี้อีกครั้ง”

Word by Word

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

• ऊचतुः: said (the two said)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन

• सखे: O friend
• सखे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सुखम्: pleasantly/easily
• सुखम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयुक्तं नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया/प्रथमा रूपम्; अर्थतः क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: pleasantly/easily)

• समाख्यावः: tell (you two)
• समाख्यावः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• आख्येयम्: to be told (something to narrate)
• आख्येयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be told'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रतः: in your presence
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: in front/presence)

• अध्वखेदापनोदाय: for removing travel-weariness
• अध्वखेदापनोदाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + खेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अपनोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('removal of travel-fatigue'); चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• अस्याः: of this (city/story)
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरः: beforehand/in front
• पुरः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (before/in front)

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva’s Gaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarmā (addressed as ‘sakhā’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gaṇas speak warmly to their companion, offering to retell Kāśī’s story as the group pauses from travel; a path with dust, resting posture, city in near distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-gaṇas
• Śivaśarmā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narration (kathā) itself is restorative—removing fatigue and strengthening devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, whose māhātmya is about to be narrated by Śiva’s attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the implied practice is śravaṇa (listening) to the city’s māhātmya.