Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कलासु च कृताभ्यासो मन्त्रशास्त्रविचक्षणः । भाषाश्च नाना देशानां लिपीर्ज्ञात्वा विदेशजाः

Transliteration

kalāsu ca kṛtābhyāso mantraśāstravicakṣaṇaḥ | bhāṣāśca nānā deśānāṃ lipīrjñātvā videśajāḥ

Translation

เขาฝึกฝนในศิลปะทั้งหลาย ชำนาญในศาสตร์แห่งมนตร์; และเมื่อเรียนรู้ภาษาหลายแคว้นแล้ว ก็รู้แม้กระทั่งอักษรที่มาจากแดนไกล

Word by Word

• कलासु: in the arts
• कलासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृताभ्यासः: one who has practiced
• कृताभ्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त) + अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘कृतः अभ्यासः यस्य’)

• मन्त्रशास्त्रविचक्षणः: skilled in mantra-śāstra
• मन्त्रशास्त्रविचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रशास्त्रे विचक्षणः)

• भाषाः: languages
• भाषाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: अव्यय-विशेषण (indeclinable adjective), ‘various’

• देशानाम्: of countries/regions
• देशानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• लिपीः: scripts
• लिपीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having learned
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having known/learned’

• विदेशजाः: foreign-origin (ones)
• विदेशजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (जन् धातु, क्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विदेशात् जाताः)

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmopolitan scholar adept in arts and mantra-science, with scrolls in multiple scripts and maps of regions; the setting hints at Kāśī’s scholarly milieu, foreshadowing a turn from erudition to devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kalā (arts)
• Mantraśāstra
• Languages
• Scripts

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text highlights extraordinary learning to emphasize that true fulfillment still lies in turning the heart toward the Lord and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only a general reference to mantraśāstra expertise; no specific japa, dīkṣā, or vrata is prescribed here.