Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

नारायणोपि भगवानंतरात्मा जगत्पतिः । चराचराणामविता जातः श्रीकंठसेवया

Transliteration

nārāyaṇopi bhagavānaṃtarātmā jagatpatiḥ | carācarāṇāmavitā jātaḥ śrīkaṃṭhasevayā

Translation

Even Lord Nārāyaṇa—the inner Self and Lord of the universe, protector of all that moves and all that is unmoving—attained his exalted station through service to Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva).

Word by Word

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अन्तरात्मा: the inner Self
• अन्तरात्मा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (अन्तरः आत्मा)

• जगत्पतिः: lord of the world
• जगत्पतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः पतिः)

• चराचराणाम: of the moving and unmoving beings
• चराचराणाम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समासः: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चराणि च अचराणि च)

• अविता: protector
• अविता: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as noun); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; अर्थः: रक्षकः (protector)

• जातः: became, was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विधेयभावे (as predicate: ‘became/was born’)

• श्रीकण्ठसेवया: by service to Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठसेवया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्रीकण्ठस्य सेवा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śrīkaṇṭha-sevā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇa, radiant and serene, offers respectful service at a Śiva shrine—pouring water on a liṅga or offering bilva—while the cosmos (moving and unmoving beings) is shown protected under his gaze, indicating his role as jagatpati and antarātman.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service and devotion to Śiva are presented as foundational—even the cosmic Lord Nārāyaṇa is described as attaining greatness through Śiva-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, Śiva’s lordship in Kāśī is implicitly glorified as the supreme refuge and source of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice highlighted is sevā (reverent service) to Śrīkaṇṭha/Śiva.