Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

पठंती सारिकासारं शुकंसंबोधयत्यहो । अपारावारसंसारसिंधुपारप्रदः शिवः

Transliteration

paṭhaṃtī sārikāsāraṃ śukaṃsaṃbodhayatyaho | apārāvārasaṃsārasiṃdhupārapradaḥ śivaḥ

Translation

A myna-bird recites the essence and awakens the parrot—marvel indeed! Śiva is the one who grants passage beyond the boundless ocean of saṃsāra.

Word by Word

• पठन्ती: (she) reciting
• पठन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सारिकासारम्: the myna’s essence/teaching
• सारिकासारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारिका + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सारिकायाः सारः)

• शुकम्: the parrot
• शुकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संबोधयति: awakens/instructs
• संबोधयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: to make know/awaken)

• अहो: ah!/indeed!
• अहो: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादि-निपात (exclamatory particle)

• अपारावारसंसारसिंधुपारप्रदः: giver of the far shore of the boundless ocean of saṃsāra
• अपारावारसंसारसिंधुपारप्रदः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + पारावार + संसार + सिन्धु + पार + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (अपारावारः संसारसिन्धुः तस्य पारं प्रददाति इति)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; devotional conclusion within the vignette)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A myna-bird ‘recites’ as if chanting; a parrot awakens and turns attentive; above or behind, an unseen Śiva-presence is felt as the liberator across the ocean of saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sārikā (myna)
• Śuka (parrot)
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva alone grants liberation—crossing beyond saṃsāra—often through simple awakenings of devotion and sacred remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva salvific power is implied; Śiva (as Viśveśvara) is the liberator of Avimukta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it emphasizes śravaṇa/paṭhana (hearing/recitation) as spiritually awakening.