Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । तिष्ठन्नेकेन पादेन कोयं भ्रमति सत्तमौ । अनेकरशनाव्यग्र हस्ताग्रो व्यग्रलोचनः

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | tiṣṭhannekena pādena koyaṃ bhramati sattamau | anekaraśanāvyagra hastāgro vyagralocanaḥ

Translation

ศิวศรมันกล่าวว่า “โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่สัตบุรุษ ผู้นี้คือใคร—ยืนด้วยเท้าเพียงข้างเดียวแต่กลับเคลื่อนไหวไปมา? มีสายรัดมากมายสั่นไหว มือยื่นไปข้างหน้า และดวงตากระสับกระส่าย”

Word by Word

• शिवशर्मा: Śivaśarman
• शिवशर्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Participial subject/कर्तृ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण/सहायक-भाव (while standing)

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of पादेन)

• पादेन: with (his) foot
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भ्रमति: wanders/whirls
• भ्रमति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्तमौ: O best of men (you two)
• सत्तमौ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), द्विवचन; श्रेष्ठ-पुरुषयोः संबोधन

• अनेक-रशन-अव्यग्रः: undistracted amid many belts/ropes
• अनेक-रशन-अव्यग्रः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + रशन (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—अनेक-रशन (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + अव्यग्र (तत्पुरुष: “not distracted despite many girdles/ropes”); विशेषण

• हस्त-अग्रः: with hands at the fore / hand-tipped
• हस्त-अग्रः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—हस्तस्य अग्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषण

• व्यग्र-लोचनः: restless-eyed
• व्यग्र-लोचनः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—व्यग्रं लोचनं यस्य (restless-eyed)

Speaker

Śivaśarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to ‘sattamau’ (best among the virtuous) within the scene

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarman, astonished, points toward a strange figure: standing on one foot, moving as if in a ritualized dance or tapas, cords/belts fluttering, hands thrust forward, eyes restless—an uncanny, energetic presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma awakens inquiry: the saintly are drawn to recognize extraordinary signs of tapas, destiny, or divine mission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s frame, but this verse itself is a dialogue moment and does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive question initiating the narration.