Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

त्वया च शक्तिमानस्मि महदैश्वर्यरक्षणे । त्वां च शक्तिं समासाद्य स्वलीलारूपधारिणीम्

Transliteration

tvayā ca śaktimānasmi mahadaiśvaryarakṣaṇe | tvāṃ ca śaktiṃ samāsādya svalīlārūpadhāriṇīm

Translation

Durch dich bin ich befähigt, die große Herrschaft zu bewahren. Und da ich dich erlangt habe—Śakti selbst, die aus ihrem eigenen göttlichen Spiel (līlā) Gestalten annimmt—

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री/पुं/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śaktimān: powerful
• śaktimān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaktimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahat: great
• mahat: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण

• aiśvarya-rakṣaṇe: in the protection of sovereignty/power
• aiśvarya-rakṣaṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (aiśvaryasya rakṣaṇam)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śaktim: power; Śakti
• śaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• samāsādya: having approached/attained
• samāsādya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (सद् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having approached/attained’

• sva-līlā-rūpa-dhāriṇīm: the one who bears her own playful form
• sva-līlā-rūpa-dhāriṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य लीलायाः रूपं धारयन्ती)

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience / interlocutor in Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame (traditionally Śaunaka/ṛṣis in Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Śakti with intimate reverence, acknowledging that his capacity to guard great sovereignty arises through her; the setting evokes Kāśī’s sanctity—temple silhouettes, Gaṅgā glow, and a metaphysical aura of līlā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śakti (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cosmic function is inseparable from Śakti; divine power and divine consciousness operate together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting, Kāśī is implied as the place where the unity of Śiva–Śakti is taught and celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it conveys doctrine: worship of Śiva is fulfilled through honoring Śakti as his power.