Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । अथ तद्योगिनीवृंदं दूराद्दृष्टिं प्रसार्य च । स्वनेत्रदैर्घ्यनिर्माणं प्रशशंस फलान्वितम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | atha tadyoginīvṛṃdaṃ dūrāddṛṣṭiṃ prasārya ca | svanetradairghyanirmāṇaṃ praśaśaṃsa phalānvitam

Translation

Sinabi ni Skanda: Pagkaraan, ang pangkat ng mga Yoginī, inunat ang kanilang titig sa malayo, at pinuri ang mabungang kaganapan ng pagpapahaba sa abot ng sariling paningin.

Word by Word

• skandaḥ: Skanda
• skandaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• tad-yoginī-vṛndam: that group of yoginīs
• tad-yoginī-vṛndam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + yoginī (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛnda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तासां योगिनीनां वृन्दम्/that group of yoginīs), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• dūrāt: from afar
• dūrāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb)

• dṛṣṭim: sight, gaze
• dṛṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• prasārya: having extended
• prasārya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-sṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sva-netra-dairghya-nirmāṇam: the making of (their) own eyes’ lengthening
• sva-netra-dairghya-nirmāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + netra (प्रातिपदिक) + dairghya (प्रातिपदिक) + nirmāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वनेत्रयोः दैर्घ्यस्य निर्माणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• praśaśaṃsa: praised
• praśaśaṃsa: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• phala-anvitam: endowed with results, fruitful
• phala-anvitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + an-vita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (फलैः अन्वितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as the far-seen goal)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda narrates as the yoginīs stretch their gaze far ahead, marveling at the fruitful ‘lengthening’ of their sight—anticipating Kāśī’s vision.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the act of seeking Kāśī—straining to behold it—becomes ‘fruitful,’ underscoring darśana as a form of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied object of far-seeing anticipation within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights an experiential devotion—eagerly beholding the sacred realm.