Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

लोकैरप्युषितं लोकं श्यामलांगैश्च लोमशैः । गणौ कथयतां केमी को लोकः पुण्यतः कुतः

Transliteration

lokairapyuṣitaṃ lokaṃ śyāmalāṃgaiśca lomaśaiḥ | gaṇau kathayatāṃ kemī ko lokaḥ puṇyataḥ kutaḥ

Translation

“此世界为众多众生所居，肢体黝黑而多毛。噢，伽那啊，请说明：他们是谁，这是什么世界，它由何种功德而生？”

Word by Word

• लोकैः: by beings/people
• लोकैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• उषितम्: inhabited
• उषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्यामल-अङ्गैः: with dark limbs
• श्यामल-अङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्यामल (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्यामलानि अङ्गानि येषाम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• लोमशैः: hairy
• लोमशैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गणौ: the two gaṇas
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• कथयताम्: tell (you two)
• कथयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन, परस्मैपद

• के: who?/which?
• के: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (interrogative)

• इमी: this (one)
• इमी: Prashna (Interrogative context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठभेदः—संभाव्यं 'अयम्/इमः'

• कः: what?/which?
• कः: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (interrogative)

• लोकः: world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यतः: due to merit/from merit
• पुण्यतः: Hetu (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from merit)

• कुतः: from where
• कुतः: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-तसिल् (whence/from where)

Speaker

Divya Dvija (the celestial brāhmaṇa traveler)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaṇas (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The traveler points toward a populous realm of dark, hairy beings; two gaṇas stand beside him as guides, the scene framed like a question posed at the threshold of a new world.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Guhyaka-loka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should ask not only ‘what’ is seen, but ‘why’—tracing outcomes back to puṇya and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific earthly tīrtha is named; the discussion remains within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s cosmological instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry about karmic causation.