Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अमृतेश्वर संस्पर्शान्मृता जीवंति तत्क्षणात् । अमृतत्वं भजंतेऽत्र जीवंतः स्पर्शमात्रतः

Transliteration

amṛteśvara saṃsparśānmṛtā jīvaṃti tatkṣaṇāt | amṛtatvaṃ bhajaṃte'tra jīvaṃtaḥ sparśamātrataḥ

Translation

Durch die Berührung Amṛteśvaras leben die Toten im selben Augenblick wieder auf. Und die Lebenden nehmen hier schon durch bloßen Kontakt an der Unsterblichkeit teil.

Word by Word

• अमृतेश्वर: (from) Amṛteśvara (name of Śiva/liṅga)
• अमृतेश्वर: Source (Apadana/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रातिपदिक; पञ्चमी-एकवचनार्थे (अमृतेश्वरात्) सह प्रयोगः; संबोधन/नामरूपेण

• संस्पर्शात्: from contact/touch
• संस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• मृताः: the dead (persons)
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः संज्ञारूपेण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जीवन्ति: live, come to life
• जीवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, at that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (Ablatival adverb)

• अमृतत्वम्: immortality
• अमृतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + त्व (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भजन्ते: attain, partake of
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• जीवन्तः: the living (ones)
• जीवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), शतृ-प्रत्यय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्पर्शमात्रतः: merely by touch alone
• स्पर्शमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पर्श + मात्र + तस् (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); तत्पुरुषः (स्पर्शस्य मात्रम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amṛteśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At an Amṛteśvara shrine, a devotee touches the liṅga; a pale, lifeless figure behind is shown rising with returning breath, while nectar-like light flows from the liṅga, transforming the scene into luminous serenity.

Characters & Entities

• Amṛteśvara
• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in Kāśī is portrayed as life-restoring and death-transcending—pointing to liberation beyond mortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Amṛteśvara shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sparśa—reverential contact/touch associated with Amṛteśvara, implying darśana and devotional approach.