Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अष्टादशपुराणानां कर्त्ता सत्यवतीसुतः । सूताग्रे कथयामास कथां पापापनोदिनीम्

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśapurāṇānāṃ karttā satyavatīsutaḥ | sūtāgre kathayāmāsa kathāṃ pāpāpanodinīm

Translation

Con của Satyavatī (Vyāsa), tác giả mười tám bộ Purāṇa, đã thuật lại trước mặt Sūta câu chuyện này—câu chuyện có năng lực trừ diệt tội lỗi.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशपुराणानाम्: of the eighteen Purāṇas
• अष्टादशपुराणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टादश पुराणानि)

• कर्त्ता: the author
• कर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्यवतीसुतः: son of Satyavatī (Vyāsa)
• सत्यवतीसुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवती + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सत्यवत्याः सुतः)

• सूताग्रे: in front of the Sūta
• सूताग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य अग्रे)

• कथयामास: narrated, told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story, discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पापापनोदिनीम्: sin-dispelling
• पापापनोदिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + अपनोदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: पापम् अपनोदिनी (sin-removing)

Speaker

Narrator/Compiler

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (topic to follow)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (primary); later ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal teaching assembly: Vyāsa seated on a vyāsāsana with manuscript, Sūta respectfully in front, sages around; the ‘eighteen Purāṇas’ symbolized as stacked palm-leaf bundles; a subtle aura labeled ‘pāpa-apahāriṇī kathā’.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Satyavatī
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening is presented as a purifying act, with the narrative itself described as sin-removing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s framing; the glorification of Kāśī follows in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, śravaṇa (listening) to Purāṇic kathā as a means of purification.