Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

नैमिषाद्देवदेवोत्र ब्रह्मावर्तेन संयुतः । तत्रांशमात्रं संस्थाप्य काश्यामाविरभूद्विभो

Transliteration

naimiṣāddevadevotra brahmāvartena saṃyutaḥ | tatrāṃśamātraṃ saṃsthāpya kāśyāmāvirabhūdvibho

Translation

من نيميṣا (Naimiṣa) أتى إلى هنا إلهُ الآلهة، مقرونًا ببراهمَافارتا (Brahmāvarta). وبعد أن أقام هناك جزءًا يسيرًا من ذاته، تجلّى الربّ الجليل في كاشي (Kāśī).

Word by Word

• नैमिषात्: from Naimiṣa
• नैमिषात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• देवदेवः: the God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदेव = देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्र: here
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (अत्र/उत्र)

• ब्रह्मावर्तेन: with/along with Brahmāvarta
• ब्रह्मावर्तेन: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मावर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संयुतः: joined/associated
• संयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) → संयुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• अंशमात्रम्: a mere portion
• अंशमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशमात्र = अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (ल्यप्/अव्ययभाव), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; अव्यय

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• आविरभूत्: appeared
• आविरभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as manifestation-site of Deva-deva’s aṃśa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic travel scene: from a forest-sacrifice setting of Naimiṣa and the dharmic plain of Brahmāvarta, a radiant ‘Deva-deva’ presence moves toward Kāśī; a small luminous ‘aṃśa’ is placed like a seed of light, from which Kāśī’s skyline and ghats emerge.

Characters & Entities

• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Brahmāvarta
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Devadeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a direct theater of divine presence, where the Lord’s manifestation sanctifies the landscape and makes it a living tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Brahmāvarta-associated sacred zone in Kāśī, linked to Naimiṣa and the Lord’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; the verse explains the theological origin of the site’s sanctity (āvirbhāva/manifestation).