Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

बिभ्रत्सहज काठिन्यं जातो गौरीगुरुर्गुरुः । शंभुं प्रपूज्य सुतया स्रजा विश्वगुरोरपि

Transliteration

bibhratsahaja kāṭhinyaṃ jāto gaurīgururguruḥ | śaṃbhuṃ prapūjya sutayā srajā viśvagurorapi

Translation

Mit angeborener Strenge wurde er zu einem ehrwürdigen Lehrer, ja sogar zum Lehrmeister Gaurīs. Nachdem er Śambhu gebührend verehrt hatte, brachte er Ihm durch seine Tochter einen Blumenkranz dar, obgleich Śambhu selbst der Guru des Universums ist.

Word by Word

• bibhrat: bearing, carrying
• bibhrat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhṛ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (contextual agreement)

• sahaja: innate, natural
• sahaja: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (काठिन्यम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• kāṭhinyam: hardness, severity
• kāṭhinyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṭhinya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन

• jātaḥ: born, arisen
• jātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• gaurī-guruḥ: Gaurī’s teacher
• gaurī-guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गौर्याः गुरु:); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• guruḥ: the guru, teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन

• śaṃbhum: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन

• prapūjya: having worshipped
• prapūjya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्गः प्र-

• sutayā: by/with the daughter
• sutayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन

• srajā: with a garland
• srajā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sraj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन

• viśva-guroḥ: of the teacher of the world
• viśva-guroḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य गुरु:); पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचन

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भावे

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet radiant preceptor, after worshipping Śambhu, places a flower-garland upon the Lord; the contrast of the devotee’s gravity and Śiva’s cosmic serenity is emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Viśvaguru (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the cosmic Guru (Śiva) is approached with humble worship; devotion refines authority and makes true ‘guruhood’ sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s presence and worship are repeatedly praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Śambhu, including offering a garland (srajā-arpana).