Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अथर्वोवाच । यं प्रपश्यंति देवेशं भक्त्यानुग्रहिणो जनाः । तमाहुरेकं कैवल्यं शंकरं दुःखतस्करम्

Transliteration

atharvovāca | yaṃ prapaśyaṃti deveśaṃ bhaktyānugrahiṇo janāḥ | tamāhurekaṃ kaivalyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ duḥkhataskaram

Translation

Atharva sprach: „Die Menschen, denen die Hingabe Gnade schenkt, schauen Ihn, den Herrn der Götter. Sie verkünden: Śaṅkara allein ist Kaivalya selbst, der Dieb, der den Schmerz raubt.“

Word by Word

• अथर्व: the Atharvaveda
• अथर्व: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; वेदविशेषनाम (अथर्ववेद)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रपश्यन्ति: behold, see clearly
• प्रपश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवेशम्: Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अनुग्रहिणः: graced, favored
• अनुग्रहिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुग्रहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (जनाः)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आहुः: call, say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (तम्)

• कैवल्यम्: absolute liberation
• कैवल्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म-सम्बन्धे (as predicate-object)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• दुःखतस्करम्: thief/remover of sorrow
• दुःखतस्करम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुःखस्य तस्करः = दुःखहरः)

Speaker

Atharva (personified Atharvaveda/Śruti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atharvaveda personified declares that devotees, graced by bhakti, behold Devesha; Śaṅkara appears as Kaivalya embodied, gently removing sorrow from worshippers.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva
• Deveśa
• Kaivalya
• Bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is not merely attained by effort but through devotion that invites grace; Śiva is portrayed as liberation itself and as the remover of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (the glory of Kāśī), where Śiva’s saving power is central; this verse itself does not specify a particular shrine or ghat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is mandated; devotion (bhakti) and the resulting divine grace are emphasized.