Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्रीव्यास उवाच । अगस्तिवचनं श्रुत्वा बहुमानपुरस्सरम् । धिषणाधिपतेरास्यं विबुधा व्यालुलोकिरे

Transliteration

śrīvyāsa uvāca | agastivacanaṃ śrutvā bahumānapurassaram | dhiṣaṇādhipaterāsyaṃ vibudhā vyālulokire

Translation

Śrī Vyāsa thưa: Nghe lời Agastya với lòng kính trọng sâu xa, chư thiên liền hướng mắt về dung nhan của bậc chủ trí tuệ, Bṛhaspati.

Word by Word

• श्रीव्यासः: Śrī Vyāsa
• श्रीव्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (śrīmān vyāsaḥ)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अगस्ति: of Agastya
• अगस्ति: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग: अगस्ति-वचनम्)

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): having heard

• बहुमान: respect/reverence
• बहुमान: Sambandha (Genitive-relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• पुरःसरम्: with reverence preceding (i.e., respectfully)
• पुरःसरम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुमानं पुरःसरं यस्य (having respect in front/preceding)

• धिषणाधिपतेः: of the lord of intellect (Bṛhaspati)
• धिषणाधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिषणा (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dhīṣaṇāyāḥ adhipatiḥ = Bṛhaspati)

• आस्यम्: face/mouth
• आस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विबुधाः: the gods
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• व्यालुलोकिरे: looked at/gazed upon
• व्यालुलोकिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (rare perfect formation)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta’s audience (frame sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly: Agastya’s words have just been spoken; the gods, with folded hands and attentive faces, turn toward Bṛhaspati—radiant, seated as the embodiment of wisdom.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Agastya
• Devas (vibudhāḥ)
• Bṛhaspati (dhiṣaṇādhipati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry is joined with humility—divine beings themselves honor sages and seek counsel from the guru of wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame; it does not name a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a respectful consultation scene.