Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

उपायत्रयमेवात्र स्थाणुर्निर्वाणकारणम् । शर्वाण्यग्रेव भाणाद्धा परिनिर्णीय सर्वतः

Transliteration

upāyatrayamevātra sthāṇurnirvāṇakāraṇam | śarvāṇyagreva bhāṇāddhā parinirṇīya sarvataḥ

Translation

Here indeed Sthāṇu (Śiva) declares three means to be the cause of liberation—set forth plainly, as Śarvāṇī herself proclaimed, having determined the matter in every way.

Word by Word

• उपायत्रयम्: the three means
• उपायत्रयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः उपायाः)

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (only/indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• स्थाणुः: Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• स्थाणुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निर्वाणकारणम्: the cause of liberation
• निर्वाणकारणम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण-कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य कारणम्)

• शर्वाणि: O Śarvāṇī (Pārvatī)
• शर्वाणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (हे शर्वाणि) — vocative sense though form equals nominative

• अग्रे: in front, beforehand
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् (adverb: in front/before)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• भाणात्: from (his) utterance/speech
• भाणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाठभेदसम्भव), पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ‘भाण’ = कथन/उक्तिः (speech)

• धा: indeed (expletive)
• धा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/पादपूरण (emphatic/expletive particle; often in Vedic/classical as filler)

• परिनिर्णीय: having ascertained/decided
• परिनिर्णीय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि + नि + √नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘निर्णय’ अर्थे

• सर्वतः: in every way, from all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (from all sides; wholly)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Sthāṇu seated in stillness, teaching; Śarvāṇī stands or sits nearby, affirming the teaching; three luminous symbols hover (representing the triad of means), with Kāśī’s skyline and Gaṅgā subtly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• Śarvāṇī (Pārvatī)
• Kāśī
• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is approached through specific, clearly defined means taught by Śiva and affirmed by Pārvatī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī/Avimukta context frames the teaching, though the verse itself highlights the liberating means.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces a doctrine of “three means” to liberation; the specific three are detailed in subsequent verses.