Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । भगवन्देवदेवेश क्षंतव्यं गिरिजापते । वाराणसीं समासाद्य यदहं नागतः पुनः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | bhagavandevadeveśa kṣaṃtavyaṃ girijāpate | vārāṇasīṃ samāsādya yadahaṃ nāgataḥ punaḥ

Translation

พระพรหมาตรัสว่า “ข้าแต่พระภควาน ผู้เป็นเทพเหนือเทพ ข้าแต่พระสวามีแห่งคิริชา โปรดทรงอภัยความผิดนี้เถิด แม้ข้าพเจ้าได้ถึงพาราณสีแล้ว ก็หาได้กลับมาอีกดังที่ควรไม่”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• देव-देव-ईश: O Lord of the gods
• देव-देव-ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘देवानां देवः’ + ‘देवदेवस्य ईशः’ (O Lord of the god of gods / Lord of gods)

• क्षन्तव्यम्: (it) should be forgiven
• क्षन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √क्षम (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—‘क्षन्तव्यम् (मया/त्वया)’ = should be forgiven

• गिरिजा-पते: O husband of Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा-पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘गिरिजायाः पतिः’

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—‘having reached/approached’

• यत्: because/that (which)
• यत्: Hetu/Reason-link (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आगतः: came / have come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः विधेयवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(अहम्) आगतः’ = have come

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्ति/पुनः (adverb)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī/Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks with folded hands, face softened by remorse; Śiva listens with composed compassion, crescent moon visible; the atmosphere suggests confession in a sacred precinct of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva
• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings value accountability and seek forgiveness, underscoring humility before Śiva and reverence for Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), presented as a supremely sacred destination within the Skanda Purāṇa’s Kāśī-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the emphasis is on kṣamā-yācñā (seeking pardon) and honoring pilgrimage intent.