Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अयमेव सहस्राक्षस्त्वयमेव दिवस्पतिः । शतमन्युरयं देवो नामान्येतानि नामतः

Transliteration

ayameva sahasrākṣastvayameva divaspatiḥ | śatamanyurayaṃ devo nāmānyetāni nāmataḥ

Translation

هذا بعينه يُدعى «سَهَسْرَاكْشَا» (ذو الألف عين)، وهو بعينه «دِيفَسْبَتِي» (سيد السماء). وهذا الإله هو «شَتَمَنْيُو»—فهذه ليست إلا أسماؤه، اسمًا بعد اسم.

Word by Word

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis)

• sahasrākṣaḥ: the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• sahasrākṣaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (सहस्र-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (अक्ष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; बहुव्रीहिः—‘सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य सः’

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (contrast/emphasis)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis)

• divaspatiḥ: lord of heaven/day (Indra)
• divaspatiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divas (दिवस्-प्रातिपदिक) + pati (पति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिवसः पतिः)

• śatamanyuḥ: Śatamanyu (Indra)
• śatamanyuḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (शत-प्रातिपदिक) + manyu (मन्यु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; बहुव्रीहिः—‘शतं मन्यवो यस्य सः’ (epithet of Indra)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• nāmāni: names
• nāmāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (नामन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• etāni: these
• etāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural; demonstrative pronoun

• nāmataḥ: by name; in name only
• nāmataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (नामन्) + tas (तस् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (ablatival) meaning ‘by name/nominally’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra shown with multiple name-banners—Sahasrākṣa, Divaspati, Śatamanyu—circling him like scrolls, while a calm sage points to the same figure, indicating ‘these are only names’. Background hints of Kāśī’s sacred skyline to keep the kṣetra frame.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Sahasrākṣa, Divaspati, Śatamanyu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is recognized through many names and epithets; titles vary, but the deity referenced remains one.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the ongoing Kāśī-māhātmya context, the verse supports the celestial framing used to magnify Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it clarifies epithets (nāma) rather than prescribing worship procedures.