Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । अन्यच्च शृणु विप्रेंद्र वृत्तातं तत्र संभवम् । महाश्चर्यप्रजननं महापातकहारि च

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | anyacca śṛṇu vipreṃdra vṛttātaṃ tatra saṃbhavam | mahāścaryaprajananaṃ mahāpātakahāri ca

Translation

สกันทะตรัสว่า: โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ จงฟังเรื่องราวอีกประการหนึ่งที่เกิดขึ้น ณ ที่นั้น—ก่อให้เกิดความอัศจรรย์ยิ่ง และยังขจัดบาปหนักได้ด้วย

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• अन्यत्: another (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• वृत्तान्तम्: the account
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वृत्त + अन्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सम्भवम्: arisen/occurring (there)
• सम्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु) → सम्भव (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भावे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (वृत्तान्तम्)

• महाश्चर्य: greatly wondrous
• महाश्चर्य: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (समस्तपदस्य पूर्वाङ्ग)

• प्रजननम्: a producer/cause (of wonder)
• प्रजननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-जन् (धातु) → प्रजनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महाश्चर्य-प्रजनन), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महापातक: of great sins
• महापातक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समस्तपदस्य पूर्वाङ्ग)

• हारि: removing; destroying
• हारि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हारिन् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (णिनि/इन्-प्रत्यय, agentive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (महापातक-हारि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (episode introduction)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendra (best of Brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as luminous teacher addressing a seated Brahmin sage; the setting suggests Kāśī—temple spires, ghats, and a manuscript or rosary; the moment is the opening of a new wondrous episode.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Viprendra (Agastya, deduced listener)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred narratives are framed as spiritually efficacious—capable of dissolving even major sins and awakening awe toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The phrase ‘there’ refers back to the Kāśī setting established in the preceding adhyāya; the episode continues Kāśī’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening (śravaṇa) to the account is the implied practice; no separate vow or bath is specified here.