Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अगस्तिरुवाच । स्वामिन्यथा भगवता भगवत्यै पुराऽकथि । वाराणस्यास्तु महिमा हिमशैलभुवे मुदा

Transliteration

agastiruvāca | svāminyathā bhagavatā bhagavatyai purā'kathi | vārāṇasyāstu mahimā himaśailabhuve mudā

Translation

Agastya thưa: “Bạch Chúa tể, như thuở xưa Đức Bhagavān đã hoan hỷ trên núi Himavān mà nói với Đức Bhagavatī về uy linh của Vārāṇasī, xin Ngài cũng hãy thuật cho con sự vĩ đại ấy.”

Word by Word

• अगस्तिः: Agastya
• अगस्तिः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular perfect

• स्वामिन्: O Lord/Master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/adverb); as/how

• भगवता: by the Blessed Lord
• भगवता: Kartr̥/Hetu (Agent/Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• भगवत्यै: to the Blessed Goddess
• भगवत्यै: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; dative singular

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); formerly/once

• अकथि: was told/was narrated
• अकथि: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular aorist (passive/ātmanepada usage possible by context)

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); but/indeed

• महिमा: the greatness
• महिमा: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• हिमशैल-भुवे: to (you) who dwell in the snowy mountain (Himālaya)
• हिमशैल-भुवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + भुवि/भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: 'हिमशैलस्य भुविः' (to the one dwelling in the Himālaya region)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular (manner)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya addresses Skanda, recalling an ancient scene where Śiva joyfully taught Pārvatī on the slopes of Himavān; the request bridges Himalaya and Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Bhagavān (Śiva)
• Bhagavatī (Pārvatī)
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Himavān (Himalaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The glory of Kāśī is a timeless revelation transmitted through revered lineages of teacher and listener.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), especially as Avimukta-kṣetra of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request to narrate the māhātmya (praise and spiritual significance) of the holy city.