Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

विश्वयोनिं जगद्धात्रीं न्यस्तहस्ताग्रपुस्तकाम् । गरुत्मानपि तच्छिष्यो जातो लोकोत्तराकृतिः

Transliteration

viśvayoniṃ jagaddhātrīṃ nyastahastāgrapustakām | garutmānapi tacchiṣyo jāto lokottarākṛtiḥ

Translation

Jene Weltenmutter—Urgrund des Alls, Trägerin der Schöpfung—hielt an der Spitze ihrer gesenkten Hand ein Buch; und selbst Garuḍa wurde ihr Schüler und nahm eine Gestalt jenseits des Gewöhnlichen an.

Word by Word

• विश्वयोनिम्: the source/womb of the universe
• विश्वयोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + yoni (प्रातिपदिक); viśva-yoni (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगद्धात्रीम्: the sustainer/mother of the world
• जगद्धात्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat + dhātrī (प्रातिपदिक); jagad-dhātrī (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न्यस्तहस्ताग्रपुस्तकाम्: having a book placed at the tip/front of the hand (i.e., holding a book)
• न्यस्तहस्ताग्रपुस्तकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyasta + hasta + agra + pustaka (प्रातिपदिक); nyasta-hasta-agra-pustaka (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifies the goddess)

• गरुत्मान्: Garuḍa
• गरुत्मान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garutmān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• तत्: of her/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival sense), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound with śiṣya)

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत् + शिष्यः → तच्छिष्यः (समास/सन्धि)

• जातः: became; was born
• जातः: Kriyā (Predicate action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) + jāta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लोकोत्तराकृतिः: one of otherworldly/superhuman form
• लोकोत्तराकृतिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + uttara + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक); loka-uttara-ākṛti (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (vidyā-kṣetra aspect)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The World-Mother in ascetic form stands with a manuscript/book poised at her lowered hand; Garuḍa, wings folded, sits as a humble disciple, his form rendered ‘lokottara’—radiant and refined—amid Kāśī’s sacred ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Jagaddhātrī (World-Mother figure)
• Garuḍa (Garutmān)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge and dharma are honored even by the mightiest; discipleship before true wisdom is a sacred ideal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī sacred narrative context; the verse focuses more on the revelatory scene than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents a teaching tableau emphasizing śāstra (book/learning) and the guru–disciple relationship.