Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

हिमवानुवाच । हंहो कार्पटिक श्रेष्ठ अध्यास्वैतदिहासनम् । स्वपुरोदंतमाख्याहि किमपूर्वमिहाध्वग

Transliteration

himavānuvāca | haṃho kārpaṭika śreṣṭha adhyāsvaitadihāsanam | svapurodaṃtamākhyāhi kimapūrvamihādhvaga

Translation

喜马梵说道：“喂，最上等的行乞修行者，请坐在此座上。请告知你本乡的消息：此地发生了何等前所未有之事，旅人啊？”

Word by Word

• हिमवान्: Himavān
• हिमवान्: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Himavān)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हंहो: hey!
• हंहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हंहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधन-निपात (interjection/vocative particle)

• कार्पटिक: O mendicant
• कार्पटिक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठ: O excellent one
• श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address qualifier/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (best/excellent)

• अध्यास्व: sit (upon)
• अध्यास्व: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; 'sit upon'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (this)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (here)

• आसनम्: seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्व: your own
• स्व: Sambandha (Possessive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय/सर्वनाम-विशेषण; 'own' (indeclinable-like in compounds; here as qualifier)

• पुरः-उदन्तम्: your earlier story; prior account
• पुरः-उदन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + उदन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुरः (पूर्व) + उदन्तः (वृत्तान्तः) इति उपपद-तत्पुरुष (previous account)

• आख्याहि: tell; relate
• आख्याहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object of implied 'is'/question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (what)

• अपूर्वम्: unprecedented; new
• अपूर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (unprecedented/new)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• अध्वग: O traveller
• अध्वग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पथिक' (traveller)

Speaker

Himavān

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (topic implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān addresses the mendicant with honor, gesturing to a prepared seat; the mendicant pauses, ready to recount the ‘news of regions’ and an unprecedented occurrence.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Kārpaṭika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring guests—especially ascetics—and respectfully asking for truth is portrayed as righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī; this verse functions as the narrative doorway to Kāśī-related revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; the dharma shown is ātithi-satkāra (honoring a guest).