Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । इत्थं समाकर्ण्य मुनिः पुनः पप्रच्छ षण्मुखम् । कानि कानि च नामानि तासां तानि वदेश्वर

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | itthaṃ samākarṇya muniḥ punaḥ papraccha ṣaṇmukham | kāni kāni ca nāmāni tāsāṃ tāni vadeśvara

Translation

毗耶娑（Vyāsa）曰：闻此之后，圣者又复问六面尊（Ṣaṇmukha）：“她们究竟名为何名？主啊，请宣说那些名号。”

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इत्थम्: thus; in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√कर्ण्/कृ (धातु; ‘to hear’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (again)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• षण्मुखम्: Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced one)
• षण्मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (षड् मुखानि यस्य)

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karma (Object of ‘vade’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कानि: which (which)
• कानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; (नामानि) अन्वय

• वद: tell; speak
• वद: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• ईश्वर: O Lord
• ईश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṣaṇmukha/Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, after hearing the account, respectfully questions Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) about the Yoginīs’ names; a sage-disciple scene of transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is preserved through respectful questioning and authoritative teaching in the Purāṇic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī setting continues, preparing for Yoginī lore connected to Kāśī’s sacred space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a nāma-teaching (names) that is often connected with merit through hearing/recitation.