Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अथ देव्या समालोच्य व्योमकेशो महामुने । योगिनीवृंदमाहूय जगौ वाक्यमिदं हरः

Transliteration

atha devyā samālocya vyomakeśo mahāmune | yoginīvṛṃdamāhūya jagau vākyamidaṃ haraḥ

Translation

Dann, nachdem er sich mit der Göttin beraten hatte, o großer Weiser, rief Vyomakeśa die Schar der Yoginīs zusammen, und Hara sprach diese Worte.

Word by Word

• अथ: then, thereafter
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/beginning particle)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• समालोच्य: having consulted/considered
• समालोच्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having considered)

• व्योमकेशः: Vyomakeśa (name; ‘sky-haired’)
• व्योमकेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (व्योम्नः केशाः यस्य/व्योम-केशः)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

• योगिनीवृन्दम्: the group of Yoginīs
• योगिनीवृन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (योगिनीनां वृन्दम्)

• आहूय: having called/summoned
• आहूय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having summoned)

• जगौ: said, spoke
• जगौ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: words, statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (वाक्यम्)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka/ṛṣi-audience (typical Purāṇic frame; specific interlocutors not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Hara/Vyomakeśa) confers with Devī, then summons a circle of Yoginīs in a charged, otherworldly court-like setting, preparing a mission to Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vyomakeśa/Hara)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Yoginīs
• Agastya (listener, implied by address mahāmune)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine action is harmonious—Śiva consults Devī, showing unity of śakti and śiva in protecting sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is the implied destination and focus of the divine instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Śiva’s command to the Yoginīs.