Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

भवाय भवनाशाय भूतानांपतये नमः । महादेव नमस्तुभ्यं महेश महसांपते

Transliteration

bhavāya bhavanāśāya bhūtānāṃpataye namaḥ | mahādeva namastubhyaṃ maheśa mahasāṃpate

Translation

Ehrerbietung Bhava und dem Zerstörer des samsarischen Werdens; Ehrerbietung dem Herrn aller Wesen. O Mahādeva, Dir sei mein Gruß; o Maheśa, Herr aller Herrlichkeit und Macht.

Word by Word

• भवाय: to Bhava
• भवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• भवनाशाय: to the destroyer of worldly existence
• भवनाशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भवस्य नाशः)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पतये: to the lord
• पतये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• नमस्तुभ्यम्: salutations to you
• नमस्तुभ्यम्: Prayojana (Salutation expression)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (अव्यय) + युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सन्ध्यन्त-निपातसमासवत् प्रयोगः; ‘नमः’ + ‘तुभ्यम्’ (अः + त् → स्त्)

• महेश: O Maheśa
• महेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ईशः)

• महसाम्: of glories/splendors
• महसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पते: O lord
• पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• महसांपते: O lord of splendors
• महसांपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महसां पतिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Mahādeva radiates tejas; behind him a wheel of saṃsāra cracks and dissolves; devotees at Kāśī ghāṭa chant ‘Mahādeva’ as light spreads over the city.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva
• Maheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is both the Lord of beings and the one who ends saṃsāra—devotion aims at bhava-nāśa (liberation).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s overarching glory is mokṣa: in this kṣetra, Śiva is praised as the destroyer of bhava (saṃsāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti and namaskāra (praise and obeisance) to Mahādeva.