Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

त्र्यक्षं प्रत्यक्षमावीक्ष्य वरदानोन्मुखं पुरः । देवीं च वामभागस्थां प्रणनाम कृतांजलिः

Transliteration

tryakṣaṃ pratyakṣamāvīkṣya varadānonmukhaṃ puraḥ | devīṃ ca vāmabhāgasthāṃ praṇanāma kṛtāṃjaliḥ

Translation

Seeing the Three-eyed Lord manifest before her, poised to grant a boon, and beholding the Goddess seated at His left, she bowed down with hands folded in reverence.

Word by Word

• त्र्यक्षम्: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रीणि अक्षीणि यस्य = three-eyed); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly/visibly
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् = Accusative used adverbially ‘directly/before one’s eyes’

• आवीक्ष्य: having beheld
• आवीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√ईक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) = having looked at

• वरदानोन्मुखम्: ready to grant a boon
• वरदानोन्मुखम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर-दान-उन्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वरदानाय उन्मुखः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्र्यक्षम्)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/उपसर्गार्थ) = indeclinable; ‘in front/before’

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = conjunction ‘and’

• वामभागस्थाम्: standing on the left side
• वामभागस्थाम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम-भाग-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वामे भागे स्थिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवीम्)

• प्रणनाम: bowed down
• प्रणनाम: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• कृताञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• कृताञ्जलिः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतः अञ्जलिः येन = with hands joined); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्ता)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee beholds Tryambaka directly, poised to grant a boon; Devī sits at his left. She bows with folded hands in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣa (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When grace manifests, the right response is humility and reverence—bowing to Śiva together with Śakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctified space (linked in context with Uttarārka) is shown as a place of direct divine darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma with kṛtāñjali (folded hands) is modeled as the devotee’s act of worship upon darśana.