Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

उपायं चापि पप्रच्छ गंतुं तां चंपकावतीम् । नारदेन पुनः प्रोक्तः स राजा गिरिराजजे

Transliteration

upāyaṃ cāpi papraccha gaṃtuṃ tāṃ caṃpakāvatīm | nāradena punaḥ proktaḥ sa rājā girirājaje

Translation

اس نے چمپکاوتی تک پہنچنے کا طریقہ بھی پوچھا۔ پھر نارد نے دوبارہ، اے گِری راج کی دختر، اس بادشاہ کو ہدایت دی۔

Word by Word

• उपायम्: means, method
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = masculine, accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/अपि-कार) = particle

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = perfect, 3rd person singular

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् = infinitive ‘to go’

• ताम्: that (woman/city)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = feminine, accusative singular

• चम्पकावतीम्: Campakāvatī
• चम्पकावतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: campakāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = feminine, accusative singular (proper noun)

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = masculine, instrumental singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb ‘again’

• प्रोक्तः: was told, was instructed
• प्रोक्तः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकृत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = past passive participle, masc. nom. sg. (‘was told’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = masculine, nominative singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = masculine, nominative singular

• गिरिराजजे: O daughter of the king of mountains
• गिरिराजजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girirāja (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरिराजस्य जा) = feminine, vocative singular (addressing Pārvatī)

Speaker

Narrator (within the dialogue; attributed to Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Campakāvatī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: In-frame audience; address 'girirājaje' indicates narration to Pārvatī or a feminine divine addressee in this sub-dialogue context (contextual/uncertain without surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king asks for the method to go to Campakāvatī; Nārada again instructs him—an image of seeker and guide poised at the threshold of a journey.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• King
• Campakāvatī
• Girirāja (Himālaya, implied by epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right ends require right means; guidance from a realized sage clarifies the path to one’s dharmic destination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Campakāvatī is named as the destination in the narrative; the broader textual setting remains Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the request for a practical method to travel/attain the goal.