Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

अपरं च वरं ब्रूहि किं दातव्यं तवानघ । त्वादृशा एव मुनयः श्लाघनीया यतः सताम्

Transliteration

aparaṃ ca varaṃ brūhi kiṃ dātavyaṃ tavānagha | tvādṛśā eva munayaḥ ślāghanīyā yataḥ satām

Translation

ข้าแต่ผู้ปราศจากบาป โปรดตรัสบอกพรอีกประการหนึ่งเถิด ว่าควรประทานสิ่งใดแก่ท่าน เพราะฤๅษีเช่นท่านเท่านั้นที่ควรแก่การสรรเสริญท่ามกลางสัตบุรุษ

Word by Word

• aparam: another (additional)
• aparam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• varam: boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• brūhi: tell (speak)
• brūhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• dātavyam: to be given
• dātavyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) + tavya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative)

• tava: of you / your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; पुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम

• anagha: O sinless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• tvādṛśāḥ: people like you
• tvādṛśāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘तव-आदृश’ अर्थे (like you)

• eva: indeed / only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ślāghanīyāḥ: worthy of praise
• ślāghanīyāḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślāgh (धातु) + anīya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (worthy of praise), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: ‘because/for’)

• satām: of the good (virtuous)
• satām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; ‘सत्’ = सज्जन

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva/Kṛttivāsa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a sacred Kāśī setting, a revered figure addresses a sinless sage with folded hands, inviting him to name a boon; the atmosphere is calm, dignified, and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Durvāsā
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness recognizes and honors genuine ascetics; humility toward sages is praised as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, leading into the praise of a specific Kāśī shrine and pond in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces the granting of a boon that will define a sacred installation and its merits.