Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

यस्याक्षिपक्ष्मसंकोचाज्जगत्संकोचमेत्यदः । विकस्वरं विकासाच्च कस्य पूज्यतमो न सः

Transliteration

yasyākṣipakṣmasaṃkocājjagatsaṃkocametyadaḥ | vikasvaraṃ vikāsācca kasya pūjyatamo na saḥ

Translation

Durch das Schließen seiner Lider zieht sich diese Welt zusammen, und durch ihr Öffnen weitet sie sich aus und erblüht. Wer würde ihn nicht für den würdigsten der Verehrung halten?

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• अक्षि-पक्ष्म-संकोचात्: from the contraction of the eyelids
• अक्षि-पक्ष्म-संकोचात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संकोच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (समाहार/निर्देश): अक्ष्णः पक्ष्मणः संकोचः

• जगत्-संकोचम्: contraction of the universe
• जगत्-संकोचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संकोच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष: जगतः संकोचः

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• अदः: this (world/universe)
• अदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• विकस्वरम्: fully blossomed/expanded
• विकस्वरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकस्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (अदः/जगतः)

• विकासात्: from (his) opening/expansion
• विकासात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• पूज्यतमः: most worthy of worship
• पूज्यतमः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); अतिशय (superlative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśveśvara/Śiva as cosmic lord context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic Śiva whose half-closed eyes cause the universe to fold inward; when eyes open, lotuses bloom and worlds expand—depicted as concentric realms emanating from his gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the cosmic lord whose will governs the universe’s contraction and expansion; therefore devotion to him is the highest reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting of this teaching within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Śiva-worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named here; the verse supports the theological basis for pūjā—Śiva is ‘pūjyatama’ (most worship-worthy).