Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य दंडवद्भूमौ परिलुठ्य समंततः । तुष्टाव परया भक्त्या स मुनिश्चंद्रशेखरम्

Transliteration

praṇamya daṃḍavadbhūmau pariluṭhya samaṃtataḥ | tuṣṭāva parayā bhaktyā sa muniścaṃdraśekharam

Translation

Nachdem er sich wie ein Stab auf die Erde geworfen und ringsumher gerollt war, pries jener Weise Caṅdraśekhara in höchster Hingabe.

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + प्रणम्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having bowed’

• दण्डवत्: prostrate (like a staff)
• दण्डवत्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: like a staff, prostrate)

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

• परिलुठ्य: having rolled around
• परिलुठ्य: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-लुठ् (धातु) + परिलुठ्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having rolled about’

• समन्ततः: all around
• समन्ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वतोभावे क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: on all sides)

• तुष्टाव: praised
• तुष्टाव: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परया: supreme, highest
• परया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भक्ति)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सः इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

• चन्द्रशेखरम्: Candraśekhara (Śiva, ‘moon-crested’)
• चन्द्रशेखरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष): चन्द्रः शेखरः यस्य (epithet of Śiva)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; commonly Skanda addressing Agastya in Kāśī narratives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jaigīṣavya lies flat like a staff, then rolls in devotion around the sacred space, rising to sing praises to Caṅdraśekhara; Śiva remains calm, radiant, and receptive.

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavya
• Caṅdraśekhara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodied humility—full prostration and heartfelt praise—expresses complete surrender to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred frame; the verse highlights devotion to Śiva as Kāśī’s presiding Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) and stuti (hymnic praise) are exemplified as devotional acts.