Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

कार्पटिक उवाच । आचक्षे शृणु राजेंद्र यत्पृष्टोस्मि त्वयाखिलम् । अहानि पंचषाण्येव व्यतिक्रांतानि मानद

Transliteration

kārpaṭika uvāca | ācakṣe śṛṇu rājeṃdra yatpṛṣṭosmi tvayākhilam | ahāni paṃcaṣāṇyeva vyatikrāṃtāni mānada

Translation

นักบวชจาริกกล่าวว่า: “ขอพระองค์ทรงสดับเถิด โอ้จอมราชา ข้าพเจ้าจักกล่าวแจ้งทุกสิ่งที่พระองค์ทรงถามมา โอ้ผู้ประทานเกียรติ เพียงห้าหรือหกวันเท่านั้นที่ล่วงไป”

Word by Word

• कार्पटिकः: the mendicant (Kārpaṭika)
• कार्पटिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• आचक्षे: I tell (you)
• आचक्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; अर्थः—“I declare/tell”

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—राज्ञां इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यत्: what (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः—यत् (that which)

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘asked’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अखिलम्: entire, all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• अहानि: days
• अहानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम्

• षाणि: six
• षाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या ‘six’; नपुंसक-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम् (with ahāni)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• व्यतिक्रान्तानि: have passed
• व्यतिक्रान्तानि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति+क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘elapsed/passed’

• मानद: O giver of honor (respectful address)
• मानद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—मानं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्राय)

Speaker

Kārpaṭika

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mendicant (kārpaṭika) addresses a king in a quiet setting, beginning a sacred narration; minimal action, emphasis on gesture of teaching and listening.

Characters & Entities

• Kārpaṭika
• Himavān (addressed as Rājendra, Mānada)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and clarity in speech—answering fully when questioned—are upheld as dhārmic virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the main tīrtha of the chapter; this verse introduces the report that supports its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.