Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । भूपाल बहुकालीनोस्म्यहमत्र चिरंतनः । त्वं तु मां नैव जानासि जाने त्वां हि रिपुंजयम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | bhūpāla bahukālīnosmyahamatra ciraṃtanaḥ | tvaṃ tu māṃ naiva jānāsi jāne tvāṃ hi ripuṃjayam

Translation

พราหมณ์กล่าวว่า: “ข้าแต่ภูปาล ข้าพเจ้าอยู่ ณ ที่นี้มาช้านาน เป็นผู้อาศัยดั้งเดิมของสถานที่นี้; แต่พระองค์กลับไม่ทรงจำข้าพเจ้าได้ ทว่า ข้าพเจ้ารู้จักพระองค์ว่า ‘ริปุญชยะ’ ผู้พิชิตศัตรูทั้งปวง”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: कर्ता (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बहुकालीनः: long-standing; for a long time
• बहुकालीनः: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + कालीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (of many times/long-standing); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: क्रिया (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• चिरंतनः: ancient; very old
• चिरंतनः: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिरन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), मध्यमपुरुष; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but
• तु: निपात (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (adversative/emphatic particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic/limiting particle)

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• जाने: I know
• जाने: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (indeed/for)

• रिपुंजयम्: conqueror of enemies
• रिपुंजयम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रिपु + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (conqueror of enemies); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of त्वाम्)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (Vedhā/Brahmā in disguise, inferred from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The aged brāhmaṇa speaks with quiet authority: ‘I have been here since long ages’; the king listens, surprised, as the brāhmaṇa names him ‘Ripuñjaya’. The atmosphere suggests hidden divinity and the weight of time.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Ripuñjaya (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer appearances can conceal higher realities; dharma unfolds through humility, recognition, and the testing of kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue belongs to the Vārāṇasī/Kāśī narrative cycle in Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is primarily dialogic, establishing identity and relationship between the brāhmaṇa and the king.