Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

समा यया महेशस्य मोहितो लोकसंभवः । अविज्ञाय परं भावमात्मानं प्राह वर्पिणम्

Transliteration

samā yayā maheśasya mohito lokasaṃbhavaḥ | avijñāya paraṃ bhāvamātmānaṃ prāha varpiṇam

Translation

Durch eben jene (Māyā), die an Täuschungskraft gleich ist, wurde der Welten-Erzeuger (Brahmā) in Bezug auf Maheśvara verwirrt. Da er den höchsten Zustand nicht erkannte, sprach er von sich selbst als vom verkörperten (Höchsten).

Word by Word

• samā: (that) illusion
• samā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samā (समा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(that) delusion/illusion’ (contextual)

• yayā: by which
• yayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• maheśasya: of Maheśa
• maheśasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (महेश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• mohitaḥ: deluded
• mohitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mohita (मोहित प्रातिपदिक; √muh)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि भाव (one who is deluded)

• loka-sambhavaḥ: the world-originator (Brahmā)
• loka-sambhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + sambhava (लोक + सम्भव प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य सम्भवः = ‘originator of the world’, i.e., Brahmā)

• avijñāya: not knowing
• avijñāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a-vi-√jñā (अ-वि-ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘not having known/realized’

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (पर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhāvam: state / nature
• bhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (भाव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• varpiṇam: the radiant one / embodied one
• varpiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varpin (वर्पिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, radiant yet confused, stands before an overwhelming Maheśvara presence; māyā is depicted as a translucent veil or swirling cosmic mist causing misrecognition.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā (loka-sambhava)
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted cosmic offices can be veiled by māyā; humility and true knowledge are necessary to recognize the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching frame; the verse supports the Śaiva doctrinal core that underlies Kāśī Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it warns against egoic claims and encourages tattva-jñāna.