Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भुजगाभुजगाः सदैव तेऽमी न विषं संक्रमते च नीलकंठ । अहमस्मि च वामदेव वामा तव वामंवपुरत्र चित्तयुक्ता

Transliteration

bhujagābhujagāḥ sadaiva te'mī na viṣaṃ saṃkramate ca nīlakaṃṭha | ahamasmi ca vāmadeva vāmā tava vāmaṃvapuratra cittayuktā

Translation

O Nīlakaṇṭha, these serpents ever remain upon you, yet their poison does not pass into you. And I—your beloved, O Vāmadeva—am here, my mind intent upon your left side, united with your auspicious form.

Word by Word

• भुजग: snakes
• भुजग: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (भुजग+अभुजगाः इत्यस्य पूर्वपदम्)

• अभुजगाः: non-snakes (others)
• अभुजगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भुजग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नञ्/अ-प्रत्ययेन निषेधः; (भुजगाभुजगाः = भुजगाश्च अभुजगाश्च इति अर्थे)

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदैव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; (तव/ते = your)

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• विषम्: poison
• विषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संक्रमते: passes/enters (is transmitted)
• संक्रमते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नीलकंठ: O Blue-throated one (Śiva)
• नीलकंठ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील+कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नीलः कण्ठः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वामदेव: O Vāmadeva
• वामदेव: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम+देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (वामः देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• वामा: the fair/left one (a feminine speaker)
• वामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• वामम्: left/fair
• वामम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (वपुः इत्यस्य)

• वपुः: body/form
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deshadhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• चित्तयुक्ता: mind-attached/with mind engaged
• चित्तयुक्ता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्त+युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (चित्तेन युक्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Pārvatī (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Umā speaks to Nīlakaṇṭha: serpents coil as ornaments on Śiva’s body; the blue throat glows; Umā leans toward his left side, mentally united with his auspicious form.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Nīlakaṇṭha, Vāmadeva)
• Serpents (nāga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva remains untouched by impurity (poison), teaching transcendence over worldly defects through divine steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa movement toward praising Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the mokṣa-giving city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it functions as devotional praise (stuti) strengthening Śiva-bhakti.