Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

उवाच च प्रसन्नात्मा पुंडरीकविलोचनः । अगण्या अपि वैकुंठ गुणा विगणिता मया

Transliteration

uvāca ca prasannātmā puṃḍarīkavilocanaḥ | agaṇyā api vaikuṃṭha guṇā vigaṇitā mayā

Translation

แล้วพระผู้มีดวงเนตรดุจดอกบัว ผู้มีพระหฤทัยผ่องใส ตรัสว่า: “โอ้ ไวกุณฐะ แม้คุณธรรมของท่านจะนับมิได้ แต่เราก็ได้ประมวลนับไว้แล้ว”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• प्रसन्नात्मा: the serene-minded one
• प्रसन्नात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (प्रसन्नः आत्मा यस्य/प्रसन्न-आत्मा)

• पुंडरीकविलोचनः: lotus-eyed (one)
• पुंडरीकविलोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक) + विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्डरीकस्य इव विलोचनं यस्य)

• अगण्याः: countless
• अगण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (guṇāḥ इति)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधान/अपवादार्थक (even/also)

• वैकुंठ: O Vaikuṇṭha (Vishnu)
• वैकुंठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विगणिताः: have been counted/considered
• विगणिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + गण् (धातु) → विगणित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (counted/considered)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrator); the quoted speaker within the narrative is Puṇḍarīkavilocana (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vaikuṇṭha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene, lotus-eyed Lord speaks in measured praise, contrasting Vaikuṇṭha’s innumerable guṇas with the counted ‘victories’ of Kāśī; the setting hints at sacred discourse rather than battle—radiant aura, calm gestures, attentive listener.

Characters & Entities

• Puṇḍarīkavilocana (Viṣṇu)
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest divine abodes and virtues are invoked to frame Kāśī’s tīrtha-glory through a language of reverent comparison.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for the glorification of Kāśī’s Pañcanada, by contrasting it with Vaikuṇṭha’s excellences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a praise-filled discourse that supports the māhātmya theme.