Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अनेनैव शरीरेण पार्थिवेन महामतिः । अस्मदाचार्यमुख्यानां पश्यतां च तपस्विनाम्

Transliteration

anenaiva śarīreṇa pārthivena mahāmatiḥ | asmadācāryamukhyānāṃ paśyatāṃ ca tapasvinām

Translation

Mit eben diesem irdischen Leib, o Hochgesinnter, erlangte jene edelmütige (Mādhavī) den göttlichen Zustand, während unsere vornehmsten Lehrer und die Asketen es mit eigenen Augen sahen.

Word by Word

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (restriction/emphasis)

• शरीरेण: by (this) body
• शरीरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• पार्थिवेन: earthly, physical
• पार्थिवेन: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शरीरेण विशेष्यते)

• महामतिः: the great-minded woman/person
• महामतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महती मतिः यस्याः सा = ‘one of great intellect’

• अस्मद्-आचार्य-मुख्यानाम्: of our chief teachers
• अस्मद्-आचार्य-मुख्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः: अस्माकम् आचार्याः मुख्याः येषां ते = ‘of our principal teachers’

• पश्यताम्: of (those) watching
• पश्यताम्: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ; present participle) षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘while (they) were seeing’ / ‘of those who were watching’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय/conjunction

• तपस्विनाम्: of ascetics
• तपस्विनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) at Praṇaveśa-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of ascetics and teachers stands in awe as Mādhavī’s form becomes radiant and subtle before the liṅga; the witnesses raise hands in reverence, confirming the miracle of bodily attainment.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhavī
• Tapasvins (ascetics)
• Ācāryas (teachers)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a field where devotion can bear immediate, visible fruit—even in the very body—validated by saintly witnesses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, with the event occurring at the liṅga-shrine described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the witnessed result of prior vrata, pūjā, and dhyāna.