Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पूतात्मोवाच । देवदेवमहादेव देवानामभयप्रद । ब्रह्मनारायणेंद्रादि सर्वदेवपदप्रद

Transliteration

pūtātmovāca | devadevamahādeva devānāmabhayaprada | brahmanārāyaṇeṃdrādi sarvadevapadaprada

Translation

Pūtātmā sprach: „O Gott der Götter, o Mahādeva, Spender der Furchtlosigkeit den Devas; Verleiher der Stellungen aller Götter — Brahmā, Nārāyaṇa, Indra und der übrigen.“

Word by Word

• पूतात्मा: the pure-souled one
• पूतात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूत (कृदन्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• देवदेवमहादेव: O God of gods, Mahādeva
• देवदेवमहादेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां देवः; महादेवः)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन

• अभयप्रद: O giver of fearlessness
• अभयप्रद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √दा with प्र-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (abhayaṃ pradāti)

• ब्रह्मनारायणेंद्रादि: O (one) connected with Brahmā, Nārāyaṇa, Indra, etc.
• ब्रह्मनारायणेंद्रादि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (ब्रह्मा-नारायण-इन्द्र-आदि)

• सर्वदेवपदप्रद: O bestower of the status/abode of all gods
• सर्वदेवपदप्रद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वदेवानां पदं प्रदाति)

Speaker

Pūtātmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotee Pūtātmā offers a formal hymn-address to Śiva, naming him devadeva, mahādeva, abhaya-prada; Śiva listens in composed majesty.

Characters & Entities

• Pūtātmā
• Śiva
• Brahmā
• Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)
• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as the ultimate source of divine authority and protection, even for the highest gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, where Śiva’s supremacy is central to the place’s Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it is a stuti (praise) that frames the devotee’s request.