Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

त्वत्स्वेदादंबुनिधयस्तव श्रोत्रं समीरणः । बाहवस्ते दशदिशो मुखं ते ब्राह्मणाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

tvatsvedādaṃbunidhayastava śrotraṃ samīraṇaḥ | bāhavaste daśadiśo mukhaṃ te brāhmaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

আপনার স্বেদ থেকে সমুদ্রসমূহ উৎপন্ন; বায়ু আপনার কর্ণ; দশ দিক আপনার বাহু; আর ব্রাহ্মণগণ আপনার মুখ বলে স্মৃত।

Word by Word

• त्वत्: from you
• त्वत्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ablative singular (from you)

• स्वेदात्: from sweat
• स्वेदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ablative singular

• अम्बुनिधयः: oceans (repositories of water)
• अम्बुनिधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुनिधि (प्रातिपदिक; अम्बु + निधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अम्बुनः निधिः)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• श्रोत्रम्: ear
• श्रोत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• समीरणः: wind/air
• समीरणः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; nominative singular (wind)

• बाहवः: arms
• बाहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular (your)

• दशदिशः: the ten directions
• दशदिशः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशदिश् (प्रातिपदिक; दश + दिश्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural; समासः द्विगुः (दश दिशः)

• मुखम्: mouth/face
• मुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; past passive participle ‘are said/remembered’ (agreeing with ब्राह्मणाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as cosmic giant: beads of sweat becoming oceans; a wind-stream entering the ear; ten directions as radiant arms extending outward; brāhmaṇas depicted as a luminous ‘mouth’ of mantra-fire and sacred speech.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Oceans
• Wind
• Ten Directions
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos and social-sacred order are portrayed as expressions of the divine body, linking creation with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching setting, though no particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is descriptive symbolism.