Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

दंडवत्प्रणिपत्याथ परितः परिलुठ्य च । रुरोद दृष्ट्वेव चिरं पितरं दुःखितः शिशुः

Transliteration

daṃḍavatpraṇipatyātha paritaḥ pariluṭhya ca | ruroda dṛṣṭveva ciraṃ pitaraṃ duḥkhitaḥ śiśuḥ

Translation

他随即五体投地礼拜，又向四方翻滚，放声而泣——如同忧苦的孩童，在久别之后忽然见到父亲一般。

Word by Word

• daṇḍavat: like a staff; fully prostrate
• daṇḍavat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṇḍavat (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक) — Indeclinable manner-adverb: “like a staff” (prostrate)

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ni-√pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — Gerund/absolutive: “having bowed down”

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रारम्भ) — Particle: “then/now”

• paritaḥ: around
• paritaḥ: Desha-adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिसरवाचक) — Adverb: “around”

• pariluṭhya: having rolled about
• pariluṭhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√luṭh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — Gerund: “having rolled about”

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — Conjunction: “and”

• ruroda: wept
• ruroda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rud (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, active, 3rd person singular: “wept”

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — Gerund: “having seen”

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — Emphatic particle: “indeed/just”

• ciram: for long
• ciram: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (कालवाचक अव्यय) — Adverb: “for a long time/long”

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन — Accusative singular masculine

• duḥkhitaḥ: distressed
• duḥkhitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine: “distressed”

• śiśuḥ: the child
• śiśuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — Nominative singular masculine

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee falls flat in daṇḍavat, rolls in ecstatic humility, and weeps upon seeing the Lord—like a child reunited with a long-lost father; the Lord stands compassionate and steady.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Hari (implied by context of darśana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself as total surrender (praṇāma) and heartfelt emotion upon encountering the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī, the verse depicts the devotional mood that Kāśī traditions celebrate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (daṇḍavat-praṇāma) is implied as a devotional act, though no formal rite is prescribed.