Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अधिष्ठाता मया ख्यातस्तथाधिष्ठातृ चेष्टितम् । अपूर्वं यत्त्वयापृष्टं तदाख्यामि च तच्छृणु

Transliteration

adhiṣṭhātā mayā khyātastathādhiṣṭhātṛ ceṣṭitam | apūrvaṃ yattvayāpṛṣṭaṃ tadākhyāmi ca tacchṛṇu

Translation

我已述说那位主宰的护持者，也说了护持者运作之法。你所问甚为殊胜；我将为你开示——请谛听。

Word by Word

• adhiṣṭhātā: overseer, presiding deity
• adhiṣṭhātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental)

• khyātaḥ: is known/has been declared
• khyātaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: khyā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• adhiṣṭhātṛ-ceṣṭitam: the activity of the overseer
• adhiṣṭhātṛ-ceṣṭitam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + ceṣṭita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अधिष्ठातुः चेष्टितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• apūrvam: unprecedented, extraordinary
• apūrvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (यत्…पृष्टम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• yat: which, what
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental)

• apṛṣṭam: asked
• apṛṣṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन

• ākhyāmi: I will tell/declare
• ākhyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-khyā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदी; उत्तमपुरुष एकवचन; उपसर्गः आ-

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदी; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage seated on a raised seat, turning to the listener with a palm raised in assurance, indicating he will reveal an uncommon teaching; manuscripts and ritual vessels nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Adhiṣṭhātā (Presiding Lord—Śiva in Kāśī context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings unfold progressively: first the Lord, then His workings; rare questions deserve attentive listening and disciplined inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī’s glorification in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is an instruction to listen (śravaṇa) as a spiritual discipline.