Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56
Devanagari script
गिरिः खर्वतरो भूत्वा विविक्षुरवनीमिव । आज्ञाप्रसादः क्रियतां किंकरोस्मीति चाब्रवीत
Transliteration
giriḥ kharvataro bhūtvā vivikṣuravanīmiva | ājñāprasādaḥ kriyatāṃ kiṃkarosmīti cābravīta
Translation
山岳变得矮小，仿佛想要沉入大地。于是它说道：“愿尊命慈旨得以成就——我当作何差使？”
Word by Word
गिरिःthe mountain
गिरिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
खर्वतरःsmaller, diminished
खर्वतरः:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootखर्वतर (प्रातिपदिक; खर्व + तर-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative: 'smaller')
भूत्वाhaving become
भूत्वा:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive): 'having become'
विविक्षुःwishing to enter
विविक्षुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि + विश् (धातु) + इक्षु (इच्छार्थक क्तृ-प्रत्यय; desiderative sense)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative agent: 'wishing to enter')
अवनीम्the earth
अवनीम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअवनी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
इवas if, like
इव:
Sambandha/Upamā (Comparative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
आज्ञा-प्रसादःpermission, gracious command
आज्ञा-प्रसादः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootआज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आज्ञायाः प्रसादः = favor of command/permission)
क्रियताम्let it be done
क्रियताम्:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive): 'let it be done'
किंकरःa servant
किंकरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अस्मिI am
अस्मि:
Kriyā (Copula)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन
इतिthus
इति:
Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formइति-शब्दः (quotative particle)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
अब्रवीत्said, spoke
अब्रवीत्:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
Speaker
Vindhya (personified mountain)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The Vindhya mountain, personified, suddenly diminished and bowing in submission, speaks with folded hands to the sage’s command, as if sinking into the earth.
Characters & Entities
V
VindhyaA
Agastya (implied addressee)FAQs
True dharma is shown in surrender and readiness to serve the righteous command of a realized sage.
Not a tīrtha; the sacred landscape element is the Vindhya mountain within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage narrative.
None; it presents the ethic of obedience and service (sevā) to dharmic authority.