Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

इत्याकर्ण्य स दैत्येंद्रः प्रत्युवाच महेश्वरम् । गजासुर उवाच । यदि प्रसन्नो दिग्वासस्तदा नित्यं वसान मे

Transliteration

ityākarṇya sa daityeṃdraḥ pratyuvāca maheśvaram | gajāsura uvāca | yadi prasanno digvāsastadā nityaṃ vasāna me

Translation

ครั้นได้ฟังดังนั้น เจ้าแห่งไทตยะจึงทูลตอบพระมหेशวร คชาสุระกล่าวว่า “หากพระองค์ทรงพอพระทัย โอ้ผู้ทรงนุ่งห่มท้องฟ้า (ทิควาสะ) ก็ขอทรงสวมข้าพเจ้าไว้เนืองนิตย์…”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु: कर्ण् = श्रवणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• दैत्येन्द्रः: lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः)

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• गजासुरः: Gajāsura
• गजासुरः: Karta (Speaker tag/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle)

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिग्वासः: (you) sky-clad, naked ascetic
• दिग्वासः: Karta (Vocative sense implied/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिशः वासः/दिशो वासः = दिग्वासः, नग्नः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया/क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• वसान: dwelling, remaining
• वसान: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-पर); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे/विधेय (intended: 'dwelling/remaining')

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana/Sambandha (to me/of me)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (genitive/dative enclitic)

Speaker

Gajāsura

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gajāsura, lord of daityas, speaks boldly yet reverently, asking the Digambara Śiva to ‘wear’ him always—an uncanny request foreshadowing transformation into a divine adornment.

Characters & Entities

• Gajāsura
• Śiva (Maheśvara, Digvāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The asura seeks lasting proximity to Śiva; closeness to the divine is portrayed as the highest ‘reward’ beyond worldly victory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva framework is reinforced: the Lord who dwells in Kāśī is the Digvāsa ascetic-god who grants intimate grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the boon request that shapes Śiva’s iconographic attribute.