Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । निशामय महाप्राज्ञ शंभु प्रावेशिकीं कथाम् । त्रैलोक्यानंदजननीं महापातकतंकिनीम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | niśāmaya mahāprājña śaṃbhu prāveśikīṃ kathām | trailokyānaṃdajananīṃ mahāpātakataṃkinīm

Translation

สกันทะตรัสว่า: โอ้มหาปราชญ์ จงสดับโดยตั้งใจ เรื่องการเสด็จเข้าสู่สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของศัมภู ผู้บันดาลปีติแก่ไตรโลก และทำให้มหาบาปทั้งหลายหวาดสะท้าน

Word by Word

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

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

• निशामय: listen, attend
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाप्राज्ञ: O greatly wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्राज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• शम्भो: O Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रावेशिकीम्: introductory, pertaining to entry
• प्रावेशिकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रावेशिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

• कथाम्: story, account
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यानन्दजननीम्: mother of the joy of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यानन्दजननीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य-आनन्द-जननी (प्रातिपदिक: त्रैलोक्य + आनन्द + जननी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

• महापातकतङ्किनीम्: that which terrifies great sins
• महापातकतङ्किनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-तङ्किनी (प्रातिपदिक: महापातक + तङ्किनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāprājña rishi (unnamed here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as narrator addressing a great sage, introducing the awe-filled tale of Śambhu’s sacred entrance into Kāśī; the atmosphere is cosmic—three worlds rejoicing while dark personified sins recoil.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Trailokya
• Mahāpātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence is depicted as both bliss-giving and sin-destroying—devotion transforms the cosmos and the individual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting frames Śambhu’s ‘entrance’ as a key event tied to Kāśī’s sanctity, though the precise locality is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) is implied as the practice—hearing the kathā as a spiritually efficacious act.