Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । कथामाकर्णयापर्णे वर्णयामि तवाग्रतः । यथोंकारस्य लिंगस्य प्रादुर्भाव इहाभवत्

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | kathāmākarṇayāparṇe varṇayāmi tavāgrataḥ | yathoṃkārasya liṃgasya prādurbhāva ihābhavat

Translation

The Lord of gods said: “Listen, O Aparṇā; I shall describe before you how the liṅga of Oṃkāra manifested here.”

Word by Word

• देवदेवः: Devadeva (Lord of gods)
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे नाम (Lord of gods)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आकर्णय: listen (attentively)
• आकर्णय: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Address/आह्वान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आकर्णय (प्रातिपदिक/क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम्—‘श्रुत्वा/श्रवणं कृत्वा’ इत्यर्थे (listen!)

• अपर्णे: O Aparṇā
• अपर्णे: Sambodhana (Address/संबोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/संबोधन), एकवचन

• वर्णयामि: I describe
• वर्णयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्णय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• तव: for you / of you
• तव: Sampradana/Sambandha (for you/of you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front (of you)
• अग्रतः: Desha (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverb)

• यथा: how, in what manner
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/how)

• ओंकारस्य: of Oṃkāra
• ओंकारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• प्रादुर्भावः: manifestation, appearance
• प्रादुर्भावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रादुर्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• अभवत्: occurred, happened
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Aparṇā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Aparṇā, inviting her to listen as he begins the account of how the Oṃkāra-liṅga manifested in this very sacred place.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Aparṇā (Pārvatī)
• Oṃkāra Liṅga
• Kāśī (implied by iha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine manifestations (prādurbhāva) are revealed through sacred narration and attentive listening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the Oṃkāra liṅga is said to have manifested.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) is enjoined: “Listen, O Aparṇā.”