Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

रत्नावल्युवाच । अथ रत्नेश यात्रायाः प्रयातासु स्वमंदिरम् । भवतीषु स्मरंत्येव तद्रत्नेशवचोऽमृतम्

Transliteration

ratnāvalyuvāca | atha ratneśa yātrāyāḥ prayātāsu svamaṃdiram | bhavatīṣu smaraṃtyeva tadratneśavaco'mṛtam

Translation

รัตนาวลีกล่าวว่า: “ต่อมาเมื่อพวกท่านเสร็จยาตราไปยังรัตเนศวรแล้วกลับสู่เรือนของตน ข้าพเจ้ายังคงระลึกซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าถึงวาจาอันดุจอมฤตของรัตเนศวรนั้น”

Word by Word

• रत्नावली: Ratnāvalī
• रत्नावली: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नावली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• रत्नेश: O Ratneśa
• रत्नेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नेश (प्रातिपदिक; रत्न-ईश)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रत्नानाम् ईशः); पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यात्रायाः: of the pilgrimage
• यात्रायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयातासु: when (they) had departed
• प्रयातासु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when (they) had departed)

• स्वमन्दिरम्: to (her) own house
• स्वमन्दिरम्: Gati-karma (Goal/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (स्वं मन्दिरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवतीषु: among you (respected ladies)
• भवतीषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवती (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; युष्मदर्थे आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (in you ladies)

• स्मरन्ती: remembering
• स्मरन्ती: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (remembering)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अमृतम् इति)

• रत्नेशवचः: Ratneśa’s words
• रत्नेशवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नेश (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नेशस्य वचः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमृतम्: nectar-like (ambrosia)
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमेय/कर्म (as nectar)

Speaker

Ratnāvalī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Her friends (vayasyāḥ/sakhyaḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī speaks to her friends, describing how after they left for home she kept replaying Ratneśvara’s nectar-like words in her heart, as if hearing them again.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Ratneśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-yātrā bears lasting fruit when the devotee internalizes and repeatedly remembers the sacred teaching received there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara in Kāśī, explicitly framed as a yātrā (pilgrimage).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yātrā (pilgrimage) to Ratneśvara is referenced; the verse emphasizes remembrance (smaraṇa) of sacred instruction.