Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । सुरश्रेष्ठ तपःश्रेष्ठ सर्वाम्नाय निधिर्भव । सृष्टेःकरणसामर्थ्यं तवास्तु मदनुग्रहात्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | suraśreṣṭha tapaḥśreṣṭha sarvāmnāya nidhirbhava | sṛṣṭeḥkaraṇasāmarthyaṃ tavāstu madanugrahāt

Translation

ঈশ্বৰে ক’লে: “হে দেৱশ্ৰেষ্ঠ, হে তপঃশ্ৰেষ্ঠ—সকলো আম্নায় (বৈদিক পৰম্পৰা)ৰ নিধি হোৱা। মোৰ অনুগ্ৰহে সৃষ্টিকাৰ্য সম্পাদনৰ সামৰ্থ্য তোমাৰ হওক।”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तपःश्रेष्ठ: O best in austerity
• तपःश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वाम्नाय: O (one who is) all sacred tradition/recitation
• सर्वाम्नाय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आम्नाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः)

• निधिः: a treasure
• निधिः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भव: become
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सृष्टेः: of creation
• सृष्टेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• करण: instrument/means
• करण: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग), प्रातिपदिक

• सामर्थ्यम्: capacity/power (to effect)
• सामर्थ्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: (सृष्टेः)करणसामर्थ्यम्

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मदनुग्रहात्: from my grace
• मदनुग्रहात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandavana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A ‘surāśreṣṭha/tapaḥśreṣṭha’ deity-ascetic (contextually Brahmā or a principal deva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara, radiant and tranquil, bestows a boon upon a great deity/ascetic, declaring him a treasury of all āgamas and granting creative potency; the setting evokes Kāśī’s sanctity with subtle liṅga symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Āmnāya (sacred transmissions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic authority and spiritual knowledge arise from divine grace; even creation proceeds by the Lord’s sanction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting frames the teaching, though this verse focuses on Śiva’s grace rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it highlights tapas (austerity) and transmission of sacred knowledge as foundations for divine empowerment.