Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अपि नः स कुले भूयाच्छिवे विष्णौ च साम्यदृक् । तदालयकरो भक्त्या तस्य संमार्जनादिकृत्

Transliteration

api naḥ sa kule bhūyācchive viṣṇau ca sāmyadṛk | tadālayakaro bhaktyā tasya saṃmārjanādikṛt

Translation

May such a one be born in our lineage—one who regards Śiva and Viṣṇu with equal reverence, who in devotion builds their shrine, and who performs services such as cleaning and upkeep for it.

Word by Word

• अपि: indeed, may
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); here: ‘indeed/also/may’ (emphatic/optative nuance)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन; enclitic pronoun

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुले: in (our) family
• कुले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• भूयात्: may he be/become
• भूयात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; आशीर्लिङ्गार्थे ‘may he be/become’

• शिवे: in/with regard to Śiva
• शिवे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णौ: in/with regard to Viṣṇu
• विष्णौ: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• साम्यदृक्: one who sees equality (between them)
• साम्यदृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साम्य + दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः साम्यं पश्यति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• तदालयकरः: one who serves/works for their abode (temple)
• तदालयकरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + आलय + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तस्य (शिवस्य/विष्णोः) आलयस्य करः/कर्ता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that (deity/temple)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संमार्जनादिकृत्: one who does cleaning and other services
• संमार्जनादिकृत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संमार्जन + आदि + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः संमार्जनम् आदि यस्य कर्म तत् करोति इति (तत्पुरुष; ‘doer of cleaning etc.’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (temple precincts)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with folded hands stands between Śiva-liṅga and Viṣṇu-mūrti, offering equal reverence; nearby, workers and devotees sweep the temple courtyard, carry water, and repair the shrine with devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself as non-sectarian reverence and humble service—building, cleaning, and maintaining sacred spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī context, emphasizing temple/shrine service within the sacred geography of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-sevā: constructing a shrine and performing saṃmārjana (cleaning) and related maintenance as devotional acts.