Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शिवशर्मोवाच । नैरृतादीन् क्रमाल्लोकानाख्यातं पुरुषोत्तमौ । पुरुषोत्तमपादाब्जपरागोद्धूसरालकौ

Transliteration

śivaśarmovāca | nairṛtādīn kramāllokānākhyātaṃ puruṣottamau | puruṣottamapādābjaparāgoddhūsarālakau

Translation

Śivaśarman said: “O best of beings, you have described in due order the worlds beginning with the realm of Nairṛta; your hair seems, as it were, dusted with the pollen of the lotus-feet of Purushottama, the Supreme Person.”

Word by Word

• शिवशर्मा: Śivaśarman
• शिवशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्; धातु: वच्

• नैरृतादीन्: Nairṛta and others
• नैरृतादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); आदि-प्रत्ययार्थे (and others)

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb): 'in order/ क्रमशः'

• लोकान्: worlds/realms
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आख्यातम्: has been told/explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; धातु: आख्या (आ+ख्या)

• पुरुषोत्तमौ: the two best of men
• पुरुषोत्तमौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), द्विवचन (Dual); कर्मधारयः

• पुरुषोत्तमपादाब्जपरागोद्धूसरालकौ: whose locks are dusted by the pollen of the lotus-feet of Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तमपादाब्जपरागोद्धूसरालकौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + पराग (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धूसर (प्रातिपदिक) + अलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), द्विवचन (Dual); बहुव्रीहिः (ययोः अलकौ पुरुषोत्तमस्य पादाब्जपरागेण उद्धूसरौ स्तः)

Speaker

Śivaśarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (teaching milieu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame typical; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivaśarman addresses two exalted beings (puruṣottamau) who have narrated the lokas; their hair appears dusted with golden pollen from lotus-feet; a subtle cosmic diagram of lokas appears in the background like concentric realms.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• Nairṛta
• Puruṣottama (Supreme Person)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for sacred teaching is expressed as devotion—true knowledge is honored as arising from contact with the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse continues a doctrinal/cosmographic narration within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a respectful acknowledgment of the instruction received.