Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य बहुशो भूमावद्रिरेतद्व्यजिज्ञपत् । लीलाविग्रहभृच्छंभो प्रणतैक कृपानिधे

Transliteration

praṇamya bahuśo bhūmāvadriretadvyajijñapat | līlāvigrahabhṛcchaṃbho praṇataika kṛpānidhe

Translation

Nachdem der Berg sich viele Male bis zur Erde verneigt hatte, trug er demütig vor: „O Śambhu, der du im göttlichen Spiel Gestalt annimmst — o einziger Schatz des Erbarmens für die vor dir Niederfallenden — (vernimm meine Bitte).“

Word by Word

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: √नम् (to bow) उपसर्ग: प्र-; अर्थे: पूर्वकाले (having done)

• bahuśaḥ: many times
• bahuśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahuśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• adriḥ: the mountain
• adriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• vyajijñapat: submitted/informed
• vyajijñapat: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñap (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: √ज्ञप् (to inform/request) उपसर्ग: वि-; परस्मैपद

• līlā-vigraha-bhṛt: O bearer of a playful form
• līlā-vigraha-bhṛt: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √bhṛ)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘लीलायाः विग्रहं बिभर्ति’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• śambho: O Śambhu (Śiva)
• śambho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• praṇata-eka: O sole refuge of the bowed (devotees)
• praṇata-eka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √nam) + eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय-भावः) ‘प्रणतानाम् एकः/प्रणत-एकः’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• kṛpā-nidhe: O treasure of compassion
• kṛpā-nidhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘कृपायाः निधिः’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Adri (the Mountain; contextually Himālaya/Parvata addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Śaunaka-group (typical frame) and within episode: Śiva addressed by the Mountain

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A personified Mountain bows repeatedly, touching the earth, addressing Śambhu as the compassionate Lord who takes a playful divine form; Śiva is envisioned as approachable, listening.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śambhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Repeated prostration and humble petition are presented as the proper approach to Śiva, who is especially compassionate to the surrendered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter-context is Kāśī/Avimukta Kṣetra in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, even though this verse itself is a direct address to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the implied practice is namaskāra (repeated prostration) as devotional conduct.