Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । सर्वज्ञसूनो षड्वक्त्र सर्वार्थकुशल प्रभो । प्रादुर्भावं निशम्यैषां लिंगानां मुक्तिदायिनाम्

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | sarvajñasūno ṣaḍvaktra sarvārthakuśala prabho | prādurbhāvaṃ niśamyaiṣāṃ liṃgānāṃ muktidāyinām

Translation

Wika ni Agastya: O Panginoong may anim na mukha, anak ng Ganap na Nakaaalam, bihasa sa bawat layon—nang marinig ko ang mga pagpapakita ng mga liṅgang ito na nagbibigay ng kalayaan, (ninais kong magtanong pa).

Word by Word

• agastyaḥ: Agastya
• agastyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (अगस्त्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sarvajña-sūno: O son of the omniscient
• sarvajña-sūno: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajña (सर्वज्ञ) + sūnu (सूनु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वज्ञस्य सूनुः (son of the omniscient)

• ṣaḍ-vaktra: O six-faced one
• ṣaḍ-vaktra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (षट्) + vaktra (वक्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—षड् वक्त्राणि यस्य (six-faced)

• sarva-artha-kuśala: O skilled in all matters
• sarva-artha-kuśala: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + artha (अर्थ) + kuśala (कुशल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषु अर्थेषु कुशलः (skilled in all matters)

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रभु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• prādurbhāvam: manifestation / appearance
• prādurbhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prādurbhāva (प्रादुर्भाव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• niśamya: having heard
• niśamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-√śam (शम्/शमुँ धातु ‘to perceive/hear’) + ल्यप् (ल्यप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): having heard/learnt

• eṣām: of these
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• liṅgānām: of liṅgas
• liṅgānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mukti-dāyinām: of (those) giving liberation
• mukti-dāyinām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti (मुक्ति) + dāyin (दायिन्; √dā धातु से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समूहवाचक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—मुक्तिं ददाति (giver of liberation)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukti-dāyin liṅgas of Kāśī (topic-introduction)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda/Kumāra (Ṣaḍvaktra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Agastya, hands folded, addresses Skanda (six-faced) in a hermitage-like setting; the atmosphere is inquisitive and reverent, with symbolic liṅgas or a map-like depiction of Kāśī’s sacred points behind.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (Ṣaḍvaktra, Sarvajña-sūnu)
• Liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The seeker approaches a competent teacher with humility; inquiry (praśna) after hearing sacred lore deepens understanding of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī context continues—liṅgas within Kāśī celebrated as mukti-dāyaka (liberation-bestowing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it models śravaṇa (hearing) followed by praśna (reverent inquiry).