Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दिव्यां चतुर्युगीमित्थं स निनाय तपश्चरन् । चतुर्गुणं दिदृक्षुर्मां परमेण समाधिना

Transliteration

divyāṃ caturyugīmitthaṃ sa nināya tapaścaran | caturguṇaṃ didṛkṣurmāṃ parameṇa samādhinā

Translation

ดังนั้นเขาบำเพ็ญตบะอยู่ จึงล่วงกาลทิพย์เท่ากับสี่ยุค ปรารถนาจะเห็นเราเป็นสี่ภาค ด้วยสมาธิอันสูงสุด

Word by Word

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. acc. sg.)

• चतुर्युगīm: a period of four yugas
• चतुर्युगīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + युग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (चतुर्युग = four-yuga)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (masc. nom. sg.)

• निनाय: led/spent (time)
• निनाय: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.); कर्मरूपेण (object of 'caran')

• चरन्: practising/performing
• चरन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सः इति कर्तृविशेषणम् (pres. act. ptc. masc. nom. sg.)

• चतुर्गुणम्: the fourfold (form/quality)
• चतुर्गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (fourfold quality/attribute)

• दिदृक्षुः: wishing to see
• दिदृक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + सन् (इच्छार्थक)
• Form: सन्नन्त-धातु (दिदृक्ष् = to wish to see) से कर्तरि वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपद (desiderative agent noun/ptc. masc. nom. sg.)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (acc. sg.)

• परमेण: supreme
• परमेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (instr. sg.)

• समाधिना: with meditation/trance
• समाधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya / assembled sages (contextual to Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues; exact interlocutor not specified in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic seated in unwavering padmāsana on the banks of the Gaṅgā in Kāśī, surrounded by subtle cosmic markers of four yugas passing—changing skies, cycles of sun and moon—while a radiant fourfold divine presence is envisioned in samādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual vision (darśana) is attained through long perseverance and highest concentration, not mere desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctified realm frames the narrative, linking intense tapas with the revelatory power of the sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Parama-samādhi (supreme meditative absorption) is highlighted as the means for divine vision.