Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

निर्मीयते सुनिर्माणो जन्मि निर्वाणदायिनः । तदपूर्वं न कर्णाभ्यामप्याकर्णितवानहम्

Transliteration

nirmīyate sunirmāṇo janmi nirvāṇadāyinaḥ | tadapūrvaṃ na karṇābhyāmapyākarṇitavānaham

Translation

Ein herrlich gefügtes Bauwerk wird errichtet für Den, der den verkörperten Wesen Nirvāṇa schenkt. Ein solches Wunder—nie zuvor habe ich davon gehört, nicht einmal mit meinen eigenen Ohren.

Word by Word

• निर्मीयते: is being constructed
• निर्मीयते: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मा (धातु) उपसर्गः निर्-
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is being built/measured out)

• सुनिर्माणः: well-constructed
• सुनिर्माणः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + निर्माण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (सु-निर्माणः = very well-built)

• जन्मि: (for) the embodied one; the born being
• जन्मि: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जन्मि’ = जन्मिन् (one who is born)

• निर्वाणदायिनः: of the giver of liberation
• निर्वाणदायिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (निर्वाणं ददाति)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपूर्वम्: unprecedented
• अपूर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• कर्णाभ्याम्: with (my) two ears
• कर्णाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन (Dual)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• आकर्णितवान्: have heard
• आकर्णितवान्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु-भावे; √कर्ण् ‘to hear’ as denominative) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle active), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kārpaṭika (continuing speech from prior verse, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himavān (implied continuing listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The kārpaṭika describes an extraordinary, perfectly proportioned temple rising like a mountain of light; listeners react with astonishment. The deity’s presence is suggested as a tranquil, formless radiance at the sanctum’s heart, indicating nirvāṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara (implied as nirvāṇa-dāyin)
• Embodied beings (janmin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the liberating Lord (Viśveśvara) through sacred works like temple-building is exalted as extraordinary dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara of Kāśī, famed as the giver of liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied encouragement of prāsāda-nirmāṇa (temple construction) dedicated to the liberating deity.