Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशः संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहः । प्रणिपत्य महादेवमिदमाह वृषध्वजम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā hṛṣīkeśaḥ saṃprahṛṣṭatanūruhaḥ | praṇipatya mahādevamidamāha vṛṣadhvajam

Translation

So sprach Hṛṣīkeśa; vor Wonne sträubten sich ihm die Haare am Leib. Er warf sich vor Mahādeva nieder und sagte dies zum Herrn mit dem Stierbanner.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• uktvā: having spoken
• uktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव (gerund): having said

• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīka (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: हृषीकाणाम् ईशः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saṃprahṛṣṭa-tanūruhaḥ: whose body-hairs were thrilled (with joy)
• saṃprahṛṣṭa-tanūruhaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpra-hṛṣ (धातु) + kta (क्त) → saṃprahṛṣṭa (कृदन्त) + tanūruha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: संप्रहृष्टाः तनूरुहाः यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘हृषीकेशः’ इति विशेषण

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ni-pat (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्ययभाव (gerund): having bowed down

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (the Great God)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: महान् देवः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• idam: this (speech/statement)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आह’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• āha: said
• āha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु) (अह्-भाषणे)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vṛṣadhvajam: him whose banner is the bull
• vṛṣadhvajam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: वृषः ध्वजः यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration; likely Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (Mahādeva encounter)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame listener(s)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hṛṣīkeśa, thrilled with goosebumps, bows fully to Mahādeva, the Bull-bannered Lord; the moment is poised before a significant utterance, with the sacred ambience of Kāśī surrounding them.

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence and humility before Mahādeva are exemplified even by Viṣṇu, teaching devotion and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa, aligning Śiva’s presence and deeds with Kāśī’s liberating greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma/prostration to Śiva is shown as a devotional act.