Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा महेशानो महीप तनयोदितम् । पुनस्तीर्थानि गंगायां वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे

Transliteration

iti śrutvā maheśāno mahīpa tanayoditam | punastīrthāni gaṃgāyāṃ vaktuṃ samupacakrame

Translation

摩诃舍那（Maheśāna，湿婆）听罢王子所言，便又开始讲述恒河（Gaṅgā）之上的诸圣浴处（tīrtha）。

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उक्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• maheśānaḥ: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• maheśānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• mahīpa: of the king
• mahīpa: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘राज्ञः’ अर्थे

• tanaya-uditam: spoken by the son
• tanaya-uditam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tanaya + udita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तनयेन उदितम् = spoken by the son)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• tīrthāni: holy places/fords
• tīrthāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• gaṃgāyām: in the Gaṅgā
• gaṃgāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• vaktum: to describe
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय; ‘वक्तुम्’ = to speak

• samupacakrame: began/undertook
• samupacakrame: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + kram (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—सम्+उप

Speaker

Narrator voice within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (contextual narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīrthas of Kāśī (introductory frame)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Maheśāna) pauses after listening to the king’s son, then gestures toward the flowing Gaṅgā as if to enumerate her tīrthas; attendants and sages sit in attentive semicircle.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)
• Gaṅgā
• king’s son

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is transmitted through attentive listening; the tradition frames Gaṅgā-tīrthas as teachings to be received and then practiced.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the upcoming glorification of multiple tīrthas situated on the Gaṅgā in the Kāśī region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it marks the beginning of instruction about Gaṅgā tīrthas and their merits.