Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

मायया मां महादेव नच्छादयितुमर्हसि । नाभीकमलकोशात्तु कोटिशः कमलासनान्

Transliteration

māyayā māṃ mahādeva nacchādayitumarhasi | nābhīkamalakośāttu koṭiśaḥ kamalāsanān

Translation

“O Mahādeva, you should not veil me with māyā. From the sheath of the lotus at my navel arise, in every age, countless Brahmās seated on lotuses.”

Word by Word

• मायया: by (your) māyā
• मायया: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (‘महान् देवः’)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आच्छादयितुम्: to cover
• आच्छादयितुम्: प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + छद् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), धातु: आच्छादय् (णिच्) < आ+छद्; अर्थ: ‘आवरणे’

• अर्हसि: you ought / you are fit
• अर्हसि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नाभीकमलकोशात्: from the sheath of the navel-lotus
• नाभीकमलकोशात्: अपादान (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (‘नाभ्याः कमलस्य कोशः’ → ‘नाभीकमलकोश’)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: समुच्चय/विरोधसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• कोटिशः: in crores; countless
• कोटिशः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तद्धितान्त-प्रयोगवत् अव्यय (adverb of multiplicity) ‘कोटि-शस्’

• कमलासनान्: lotus-seated (Brahmās)
• कमलासनान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (‘कमले आसनं यस्य’—रूढ्या ब्रह्माणः)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker addresses Mahādeva: ‘Do not veil me with māyā’; behind the words, a visionary tableau of a cosmic navel-lotus from which innumerable lotus-seated Brahmās arise across ages.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Brahmā (kamalāsana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic creators are subject to the Lord’s māyā; the verse highlights Śiva’s transcendence over the powers governing manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the theological backdrop of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa; this verse focuses more on cosmology than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal dialogue about māyā and cosmic emanation.