Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

भार्गव उवाच । त्वं भाभिराभिरभिभूय तमः समस्तमस्तं नयस्यभिमतानि निशाचराणाम् । देदीप्यसे मणेगगनेहिताय लोकत्रयस्य जगदीश्वर तन्नमस्ते

Transliteration

bhārgava uvāca | tvaṃ bhābhirābhirabhibhūya tamaḥ samastamastaṃ nayasyabhimatāni niśācarāṇām | dedīpyase maṇegaganehitāya lokatrayasya jagadīśvara tannamaste

Translation

Bhārgava said: “With Your many splendors You overpower all darkness and bring to ruin the cherished designs of the night-roamers. You shine in the sky as a beneficent jewel for the welfare of the three worlds—O Lord of the universe, obeisance to You.”

Word by Word

• bhārgavaḥ: Bhārgava (Parāśurāma)
• bhārgavaḥ: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Sambodhyā/Addressed subject (You)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-प्रथमा-समरूपः; अत्र प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhābhiḥ: with/by (your) lights, radiances
• bhābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ābhiḥ: with splendors/brightnesses
• ābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ābhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• abhibhūya: having overpowered
• abhibhūya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having overcome’

• tamaḥ: darkness
• tamaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• samastam: entire, complete
• samastam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying tamaḥ)

• astam: to setting/cessation (to disappearance)
• astam: Gati/Goal (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अस्तम्’ = अस्तगमनस्थानम्/नाशम्

• nayasi: you lead/drive
• nayasi: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• abhimatāni: desired, cherished
• abhimatāni: Karma (Object, implied)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘(kāmān/phalāni)’)

• niśācarāṇām: of the night-wanderers (demons)
• niśācarāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśācara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• dedīpyase: you shine brilliantly
• dedīpyase: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dīp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; ‘दीप्’ (to shine) intensive/reduplicated stem

• maṇeḥ: of the jewel
• maṇeḥ: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• gagana: in the sky
• gagana: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gagana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• hitāya: for the benefit (of)
• hitāya: Sampradāna (Purpose/beneficiary)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजन (purpose)

• lokatrayasya: of the three worlds
• lokatrayasya: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); ‘लोकानां त्रयम्’ (three worlds)

• jagadīśvara: O Lord of the universe
• jagadīśvara: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: therefore/that
• tat: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), emphasis/connection (‘therefore/that’)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayoga (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable interjection), नमस्कारार्थक

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bhārgava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) Śiva / assembly within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhārgava stands in reverent posture, hands folded, addressing a radiant Śiva whose aura floods the sky like a jewel, pushing back a ring of darkness where shadowy ‘night-roamers’ dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārgava
• Śiva (Jagadīśvara)
• Niśācara (demons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is invoked as the cosmic light that dispels ignorance and obstructs unrighteous forces, sustaining the welfare of all worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn functions within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Śiva; it supports Kāśī’s identity as the city where the Lord is experienced as supreme protector and illuminator.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti and namaskāra—verbal praise and salutations to Śiva as Jagadīśvara.