Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । मित्रावरुणयोः पुत्र महिमानं ब्रवीमि ते । काश्यां दशाश्वमेधस्य सर्वतीर्थशिरोमणेः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | mitrāvaruṇayoḥ putra mahimānaṃ bravīmi te | kāśyāṃ daśāśvamedhasya sarvatīrthaśiromaṇeḥ

Translation

斯坎达（Skanda）说：噢，密多罗与伐楼那之子，我将为你宣说迦尸（Kāśī）中“十马祭地”（Daśāśvamedha）的伟大——它是诸一切圣渡处（tīrtha）之冠冕明珠。

Word by Word

• स्कंदः: Skanda
• स्कंदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मित्रावरुणयोः: of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; समासः—मित्रश्च वरुणश्च (द्वन्द्व)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महिमानम्: greatness
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्रवीमि: I tell
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/Genitive or 4th/Dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दशाश्वमेधस्य: of Daśāśvamedha
• दशाश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—दश अश्वमेधाः यस्य/दश-अश्वमेधः (द्विगु)

• सर्वतीर्थशिरोमणेः: of the crest-jewel of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थशिरोमणेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + शिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषां तीर्थानां शिरोमणिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Mitrāvaruṇayoḥ putra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, radiant and youthful, addresses sage Agastya on the banks of the Gaṅgā at Daśāśvamedha; the ghat teems with pilgrims, lamps, and priests.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Agastya (implied by epithet ‘son of Mitra and Varuṇa’)
• Kāśī
• Daśāśvamedha (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī contains supremely potent tīrthas; Daśāśvamedha is singled out as foremost for spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedha tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; this verse introduces the forthcoming glorification of Daśāśvamedha.