Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणैः स्तोत्रजपैर्नमस्कारैस्तु नर्त्तनैः । देवदेवमहादेव शंभो शिवशिवेति च

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇaiḥ stotrajapairnamaskāraistu narttanaiḥ | devadevamahādeva śaṃbho śivaśiveti ca

Translation

وبالطواف (pradakṣiṇā)، وتلاوة التراتيل وذكر الجَپا (japa)، وبالسجود بل وحتى بالرقص—هاتفًا: «يا إله الآلهة، ماهاديفا! يا شامبهو! شيفا، شيفا!»—تصير العبادة في كاشي مصدرًا قويًا للثواب.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणैः: by circumambulations
• प्रदक्षिणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/साधन), बहुवचन

• स्तोत्रजपैः: by hymns and recitations
• स्तोत्रजपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र + जप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (स्तोत्रं च जपश्च)

• नमस्कारैः: by salutations
• नमस्कारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• नर्तनैः: by dances
• नर्तनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवदेवमहादेव: O God of gods, great god
• देवदेवमहादेव: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + महा + देव (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः) + कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• शंभो: O Śambhu
• शंभो: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवशिव: O Śiva, O Śiva
• शिवशिव: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + शिव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (हे शिव शिव)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (thus)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī performs pradakṣiṇā around a Śiva-liṅga/Viśveśvara precinct, chanting ‘Śambho, Śiva, Śiva’, alternating between namaskāra and rhythmic devotional dance; lamps and incense glow, Gaṅgā nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara/Śiva (implied)
• Mahādeva
• Śambhu
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodied devotion—walking, bowing, chanting, even dancing—becomes direct worship of Śiva and generates merit in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva worship sphere centered on Viśveśvara, expressed through Śiva-nāma and temple devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā, stotra-japa, namaskāra, devotional dancing, and Śiva-nāma utterances (Mahādeva, Śambho, Śiva).