Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अयि पश्य वरारोहे किमेतत्समुपस्थितम् । क्व तत्कार्यं क्व च वयं मुनिमार्गानुसारिणः

Transliteration

ayi paśya varārohe kimetatsamupasthitam | kva tatkāryaṃ kva ca vayaṃ munimārgānusāriṇaḥ

Translation

โอ้ผู้มีสะโพกงาม จงดูเถิด—สิ่งใดกันที่บังเกิดขึ้น? กิจนั้นอยู่ที่ใด และเราผู้ดำเนินตามมรรคาของฤๅษีอยู่ที่ใดเล่า?

Word by Word

• अयि: O!/hey
• अयि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अयि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• पश्य: see/look
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरः आरोहः यस्याः/या)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• समुपस्थितम्: has occurred/has come about
• समुपस्थितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (has arisen/has occurred)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक देशवाचक (interrogative adverb of place)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कार्यम्)

• कार्यम्: task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• मुनिमार्गानुसारिणः: followers of the sages’ path
• मुनिमार्गानुसारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + मार्ग + अनुसारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (munīnāṃ mārgaḥ, tasya anusāriṇaḥ)

Speaker

Unnamed sage (context: the munīśvara speaking to Lopāmudrā)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lopāmudrā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parāśara turns to Lopāmudrā with raised hand in questioning gesture; both appear surprised, as if the landscape or circumstance has shifted unexpectedly around ascetics on a path.

Characters & Entities

• Lopāmudrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life grounded in the muni-mārga responds to upheaval with discernment—first seeing clearly, then judging what is proper.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī/Avimukta, though this verse itself is a dialogue line without naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that frames the ensuing teaching.