Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । अग्निबिंदो महाप्राज्ञ महता तपसांनिधे । वरं वरय सुप्रीतस्तवादेयं न किंचन

Transliteration

śrīviṣṇuruvāca | agnibiṃdo mahāprājña mahatā tapasāṃnidhe | varaṃ varaya suprītastavādeyaṃ na kiṃcana

Translation

Sinabi ni Śrī Viṣṇu: “O Agnibindu, lubhang marunong, kayamanang sisidlan ng dakilang tapas—pumili ka ng biyaya. Lubos Akong nalulugod; walang sa iyo na hindi Ko maipagkakaloob.”

Word by Word

• śrī-viṣṇuḥ: Śrī Viṣṇu
• śrī-viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; honorific title + name

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• agnibiṃdo: O Agnibindu
• agnibiṃdo: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agnibiṃdu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• mahā-prājña: O great sage (very wise one)
• mahā-prājña: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; ‘greatly wise’

• mahatā: with great
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; used adjectivally with tapasāṃnidhe

• tapasām-nidhe: O treasure of austerities
• tapasām-nidhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa ‘treasure (nidhi) of austerities (tapasām)’

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• varaya: choose, ask for
• varaya: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु, ‘to choose’)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, Imperative), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• suprītaḥ: (I am) very pleased
• suprītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suprīta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective to implied ‘aham’ (I)

• tava: of you, for you
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• adeyam: not to be given (i.e., ungivable)
• adeyam: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + deya (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective ‘not to be given/there is nothing ungivable’

• na: not
• na: Nipāta (Negation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle

• kiṃcana: anything (at all)
• kiṃcana: Pradhāna-predicative (Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; with na = ‘nothing’

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu speaks with compassionate authority, addressing Agnibindu as mahāprajña and tapasāṃ nidhi; His hand shows varada-mudrā; the sage listens with folded hands, the air filled with gentle radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Agnibindu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion and tapas mature, the Lord’s grace becomes spontaneous—He invites the devotee to ask without fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the boon-granting moment within the Kāśī narrative; the requested boon will relate to Pañcanada Hrada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse underscores tapas and divine approval (suprīti) as the basis for boons.