Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अथ नत्वा स तं प्राह वने दृष्टं तपस्विनम् । को भवान्मानसं मे यो नितरां सुखयत्यहो

Transliteration

atha natvā sa taṃ prāha vane dṛṣṭaṃ tapasvinam | ko bhavānmānasaṃ me yo nitarāṃ sukhayatyaho

Translation

于是他向林中所见的苦行者顶礼，说道：“尊者，您是谁？竟如此深深令我心神欢悦。”

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)

• natvā: having bowed
• natvā: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prāha: said, spoke
• prāha: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह्/ब्रू धातु-प्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (वन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'seen' (तपस्विनम् विशेषण)

• tapasvinam: the ascetic
• tapasvinam: Karma (Object: the ascetic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (तपस्विन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (Addressed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• mānasam: mind
• mānasam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (मानस प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject of sukhayati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• nitarām: exceedingly, greatly
• nitarām: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitarām (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• sukhayati: makes (me) happy
• sukhayati: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sukh (सुख्/सुखय् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative sense: 'makes happy')

• aho: ah!, indeed!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादि-निपात (exclamation)

Speaker

Tvāṣṭra (the seeker)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tvāṣṭra bows with folded hands before the forest ascetic; the ascetic stands serene, eyes compassionate; the air feels lighter as the seeker speaks.

Characters & Entities

• Tvāṣṭra
• Tāpasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and reverence open the heart to instruction; the seeker recognizes inner relief as a sign of auspicious guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the chapter, though this verse focuses on the seeker’s approach to the ascetic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is namaskāra (bowing) to the holy; no formal rite is prescribed here.