Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

पंचमुद्रा महादेवी तिष्ठते यत्र काम्यदा । यस्याः संसेवनान्नृणां निर्वाणश्रीरदूरतः

Transliteration

paṃcamudrā mahādevī tiṣṭhate yatra kāmyadā | yasyāḥ saṃsevanānnṛṇāṃ nirvāṇaśrīradūrataḥ

Translation

Wo die große Göttin Pañcamudrā weilt und die ersehnten Gaben gewährt, da rückt durch hingebungsvolle Verehrung ihr die Herrlichkeit des Nirvāṇa den Menschen nahe.

Word by Word

• पञ्चमुद्रा: the ‘Fifth Mudrā’ (name/title)
• पञ्चमुद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चमी इति संख्या/विशेषण + मुद्रा)

• महादेवी: the Great Goddess
• महादेवी: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तिष्ठते: stands/abides
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• काम्यदा: granting desired (boons)
• काम्यदा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्यदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (महादेवी/पञ्चमुद्रा-विशेषण)

• यस्याः: of whom/whose
• यस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• संसेवनात्: from (the act of) service/attendance
• संसेवनात्: Apadana (Source/अपा‍दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसेवन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (ablative: ‘from/by’)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• निर्वाणश्रीः: the glory/prosperity of liberation
• निर्वाणश्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण-श्री (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य श्रीः)

• अदूरतः: not far away
• अदूरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अदूरतः (अव्यय/निपात-प्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘not far/near at hand’)

Speaker

Skanda (narration; praise of the pīṭha/Goddess within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcamudrā-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not explicit in the excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a luminous grove of Kāśī, the Devī Pañcamudrā abides on a sanctified pīṭha; devotees approach with lamps, flowers, and folded hands; the aura suggests mokṣa drawing near like a radiant presence.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcamudrā Mahādevī
• Kāśī (context)
• nirvāṇa (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotional service (saṃsevanā) to the deity in a sacred locus draws mokṣa close—liberation is approached through worship and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pañcamudrā pīṭha in Kāśī, where Pañcamudrā Mahādevī is said to reside and grant both boons and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃsevanā—regular devoted attendance/worship of Pañcamudrā Mahādevī at her pīṭha.