Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कथं च कथिता देव्यै देवदेवेन षण्मुख । आविर्भूतिर्महाबुद्धे पुण्या त्रैलोचनी परा

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca kathitā devyai devadevena ṣaṇmukha | āvirbhūtirmahābuddhe puṇyā trailocanī parā

Translation

Hỡi Ṣaṇmukha, Đấng Tối Thượng của chư thiên đã thuật lại cho Thánh Mẫu như thế nào? Và hỡi bậc đại trí, sự hiển lộ chí thánh tối thượng của Đấng Tam Nhãn đã phát sinh ra sao?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कथिता: told, narrated
• कथिता: Karma (Predicate/Descriptive of कथा/आविर्भूति)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; √कथ् (धातु))
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• देव्यै: to the goddess
• देव्यै: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• देवदेवेन: by the god of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• षण्मुख: O Six-faced one (Skanda)
• षण्मुख: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (षण् मुखानि यस्य)

• आविर्भूतिः: manifestation, appearance
• आविर्भूतिः: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आविर्भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• महाबुद्धे: O great-minded one
• महाबुद्धे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् बुद्धिः यस्य)

• पुण्या: holy, meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying आविर्भूति/त्रैलोचनी)

• त्रैलोचनी: the three-eyed goddess (Trailocanī)
• त्रैलोचनी: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्याः)

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying त्रैलोचनी/आविर्भूति)

Speaker

Agastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (implied by subsequent address Ghaṭodbhava) / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage respectfully questions Skanda about how Śiva narrated to Devī the holy manifestation of Trilocana; the scene is set as a sacred discourse with Kāśī’s aura implied.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Devī (Gaurī/Pārvatī)
• Trailocana (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history is transmitted through devotion and inquiry—understanding Śiva’s manifestations and their purity is part of kṣetra-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the narrative concerns a holy Śaiva manifestation connected to the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question initiating the account of divine manifestation and its sanctity.