Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

इदमेव हि मे रूपं स्थावरं चाति सिद्धिदम् । एते पाशुपता सिद्धा आबाल ब्रह्मचारिणः

Transliteration

idameva hi me rūpaṃ sthāvaraṃ cāti siddhidam | ete pāśupatā siddhā ābāla brahmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

„Dies ist wahrlich meine eigene Gestalt—fest und unbeweglich—und doch verleiht sie außerordentliche Vollendung. Dies sind die vollendeten Pāśupatas, Brahmacārins seit der Kindheit.“

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• sthāvaram: immovable/static
• sthāvaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthāvara (स्थावर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying rūpam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ati: very/exceedingly
• ati: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier; ‘very/exceedingly’)

• siddhidam: bestowing success/powers
• siddhidam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi + da (सिद्धि-प्रातिपदिक + √दा (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रत्यय: खल्/ण्वुलादि-प्रयोगार्थ ‘द’ (giver); तत्पुरुषः—‘सिद्धिं ददाति’ इति

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• pāśupatāḥ: Pāśupatas (followers of Paśupati/Śiva)
• pāśupatāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (पाशुपत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• siddhāḥ: accomplished/perfected
• siddhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha (सिद्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pāśupatāḥ)

• ābāla: from childhood
• ābāla: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + bāla (आ + बाल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः ‘बाल्यादारभ्य’ (from childhood)

• brahmacāriṇaḥ: celibate students/ascetics
• brahmacāriṇaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (quoting Śiva’s teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A still, immovable Śiva-presence (sthāvara form) is indicated—suggesting a liṅga or aniconic manifestation—surrounded by youthful Pāśupata brahmacārins, ash-marked, serene, and perfected.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga (implied as ‘this form’)
• Pāśupatas
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The unmoving Liṅga symbolizes the steady Absolute; disciplined life (brahmacarya) aligns one with that steadiness and yields spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Liṅga-centered worship culture is implied, presenting the city as a seat of Pāśupata perfection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescriptions are Liṅga-upāsanā and brahmacarya as a lifelong discipline, characteristic of Pāśupata sādhana.