Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अनेनैवानुमानेन बुद्ध्यस्व कलशोद्भव । दध्रे गंगोत्तमांगेन देवदेवेन शंभुना

Transliteration

anenaivānumānena buddhyasva kalaśodbhava | dadhre gaṃgottamāṃgena devadevena śaṃbhunā

Translation

By this very inference, O Pot-born one (Agastya), understand: Gaṅgā was borne upon the highest limb—the head—by Śambhu, Śiva, the God of gods.

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• अनुमानेन: by inference
• अनुमानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• बुद्ध्यस्व: understand, realize
• बुद्ध्यस्व: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; (imperative, 2nd person singular, middle)

• कलशोद्भव: O Pot-born one (Agastya)
• कलशोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कलशात् उद्भवः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (vocative singular)

• दध्रे: held, bore
• दध्रे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; (perfect, 3rd person singular, middle)

• गंगोत्तमांगेन: with (on) the top of the body—(i.e., on the head) for Gaṅgā
• गंगोत्तमांगेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-उत्तम-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (गङ्गायाः उत्तमं अङ्गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• देवदेवेन: by the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (देवानां देवः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (instrumental singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as borne by Śiva: Gaṅgādhara sambandha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalśodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addresses Agastya (‘kalśodbhava’), pointing to the logic of Gaṅgā’s might: Śiva stands as Gaṅgādhara, Gaṅgā flowing from his matted locks in controlled streams.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kalaśodbhava)
• Gaṅgā
• Śiva (Śambhu, Devadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā’s sanctity is validated by her intimate association with Śiva, who alone could bear her divine force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as a divine tīrtha, linked to Śiva’s mūrdhā (head) and thus to Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides theological grounding for Gaṅgā-snān and Gaṅgā-japa described later.