Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तदुद्दिष्टासनं भेजे पश्यंस्तत्क्रीडनं परम् । क्रीडंतौ तौ तु चाक्षाभ्यां यदा न च विरमेतुः

Transliteration

taduddiṣṭāsanaṃ bheje paśyaṃstatkrīḍanaṃ param | krīḍaṃtau tau tu cākṣābhyāṃ yadā na ca virametuḥ

Translation

他就座于所指示的座位，凝望二尊至上的嬉戏。然而当二位以骰子对弈时，竟丝毫不曾停歇。

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (आसनम्)

• उद्दिष्टासनम्: the seat assigned (to him)
• उद्दिष्टासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्दिष्ट-आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भेजे: took/occupied
• भेजे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पश्यन्: seeing
• पश्यन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सः/मुनिः) विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्रीडनम्)

• क्रीडनम्: play/sport
• क्रीडनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme/wondrous
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्रीडनम्)

• क्रीडन्तौ: playing (the two)
• क्रीडन्तौ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; (तौ) विशेषण

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अक्षाभ्याम्: with dice
• अक्षाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: when)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction/particle)

• विरमेतुः: they ceased/stopped
• विरमेतुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√रम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (līlā-sthāna)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada sits on the indicated seat, watching Śiva and Devī engaged in an unceasing dice-game—an enigmatic, supreme play.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva
• Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)
• Dice play (cākṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universe can be contemplated as divine līlā—God’s play—beyond ordinary limits of time and urgency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa/Śāmbhava abode remains the sacred locus of the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is descriptive narration of the divine play.