Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । संदेहोऽत्र न कर्तव्यो विशालाक्षि सदामले । श्रुतौ स्मृतौ पुराणेषु कालत्रयमुदीर्यते

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | saṃdeho'tra na kartavyo viśālākṣi sadāmale | śrutau smṛtau purāṇeṣu kālatrayamudīryate

Translation

Śiva sprach: O Großäugige, immer Reine, hier soll kein Zweifel aufkommen. In Śruti, Smṛti und den Purāṇas wird wahrlich die dreifache Zeit gelehrt.

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• संदेहः: doubt
• संदेहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done / should be made
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• विशालाक्षि: O wide-eyed one
• विशालाक्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (one with large eyes)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अमले: O spotless one
• अमले: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण सम्बोधन (vocative used adjectivally)

• श्रुतौ: in the Veda (śruti)
• श्रुतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्मृतौ: in the smṛti
• स्मृतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुराणेषु: in the Purāṇas
• पुराणेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• कालत्रयम्: the three times (past, future, present)
• कालत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (threefold time)

• उदीर्यते: is declared / is stated
• उदीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī–Gaṅgā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Viśālākṣī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks calmly to the large-eyed, ever-pure Devī, assuring her not to doubt; the setting evokes Kāśī’s sanctity and the authority of Śruti–Smṛti–Purāṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā (addressed as Viśālākṣī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives are presented as consistent with Vedic and dharma traditions, and time is treated as a valid interpretive key.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific site in this verse; it authorizes the forthcoming Gaṅgā-māhātmya tied to Kāśī’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal clarification.