Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इदं स्कांदमहं श्रुत्वा काशीखंडमनुत्तमम् । नितरां परितृप्तोस्मि हृदि चापि विधारितम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | idaṃ skāṃdamahaṃ śrutvā kāśīkhaṃḍamanuttamam | nitarāṃ paritṛptosmi hṛdi cāpi vidhāritam

Translation

苏多说道：我聆听了《斯甘达往世书》中这无上之《迦尸篇》后，内心极为满足，并已将其牢牢铭刻于心。

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इदं: this
• इदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• स्कांदम्: the Skānda (text)
• स्कांदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skānda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; 'Skanda (Purāṇa portion)'

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): 'having heard'

• काशीखंडम्: the Kāśīkhaṇḍa
• काशीखंडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī-khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: काश्याः खण्डः

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (unsurpassed)

• नितराम्: exceedingly
• नितराम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitarām (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier: exceedingly)

• परितृप्तः: fully satisfied
• परितृप्तः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√tṛp (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'fully satisfied'

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हृदि: in (my) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ/समुच्चय (particle: also/even)

• विधारितम्: has been retained (kept)
• विधारितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भाव: 'has been held/retained'

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as taught in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, having completed hearing/reciting the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, sits serene with hand on heart, indicating deep satisfaction and retention of the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kāśīkhaṇḍa
• Skanda Purāṇa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reception of Purāṇic teaching is not only hearing but heartfelt internalization, producing deep contentment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred focus through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though the verse expresses the listener’s fulfillment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it highlights śravaṇa (listening) and dhāraṇā (retention) as devotional disciplines.