Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

हरिस्वामीति विख्यातः काश्यामासीद्विजः पुरा । तस्यैका तनया जाता रूपेणाऽप्रतिमा भुवि

Transliteration

harisvāmīti vikhyātaḥ kāśyāmāsīdvijaḥ purā | tasyaikā tanayā jātā rūpeṇā'pratimā bhuvi

Translation

Noong unang panahon sa Kāśī ay may isang dvija na tanyag sa pangalang Harisvāmin. Siya’y may iisang anak na babae, na ang ganda sa daigdig ay walang kapantay.

Word by Word

• हरिस्वामी: (named) Harisvāmin
• हरिस्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिस्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इति-शब्देन नामनिर्देशः (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विख्यातः: well-known
• विख्यातः: Karta-predicate (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ख्यात (√ख्यै धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण (past participle)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Karta-predicate (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• तनया: daughter
• तनया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जाता: was born
• जाता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) — ‘was born’ (finite sense)

• रूपेण: in beauty / by appearance
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: in respect of/with)

• अप्रतिमा: incomparable
• अप्रतिमा: Karta-predicate (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī street near ghāṭs: a venerable brāhmaṇa Harisvāmin in simple white garments stands at his doorway; beside him, his only daughter, radiant and modest, framed by temple spires and distant Gaṅgā light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Harisvāmin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even within the sacred city of Kāśī, worldly excellence is narrated as part of a larger dharmic and devotional storyline that ultimately points beyond mere beauty to higher purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) itself—the overarching kṣetra whose residents and events are presented as spiritually significant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a character within the Kāśī narrative.