Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्षदृष्टं प्रोवाच महदाश्चर्यमुत्तमम् । सर्वेषां शृण्वतां तत्र शिष्याणां स्थिरचेतसाम् । मुमुक्षूणां धृतवतां महापाशुपतं व्रतम्

Transliteration

pratyakṣadṛṣṭaṃ provāca mahadāścaryamuttamam | sarveṣāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ tatra śiṣyāṇāṃ sthiracetasām | mumukṣūṇāṃ dhṛtavatāṃ mahāpāśupataṃ vratam

Translation

He then proclaimed a supreme and wondrous teaching, verified by direct experience, while all the steady-minded disciples listened there—aspirants for liberation, firm in resolve—namely, the great Pāśupata observance.

Word by Word

• प्रत्यक्षदृष्टम्: directly seen
• प्रत्यक्षदृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, √dṛś धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘प्रत्यक्षं दृष्टम्’

• प्रोवाच: said/declared
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying āścaryam)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder/marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme/excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying āścaryam)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of all’ (genitive plural)

• शृण्वताम्: of the listeners
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are listening’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शिष्याणाम्: of the disciples
• शिष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• स्थिरचेतसाम्: of steady-minded (ones)
• स्थिरचेतसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘स्थिरं चेतः येषाम्’ (as genitive plural qualifier of śiṣyāṇām)

• मुमुक्षूणाम्: of the seekers of liberation
• मुमुक्षूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mumukṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; इच्छार्थक-प्रातिपदिक (desiderative noun)

• धृतवताम्: of those who have undertaken/maintained
• धृतवताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛtavat (कृदन्त, √dhṛ धातु)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्यय (past active participle), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of those who have undertaken/held’

• महापाशुपतम्: the great Pāśupata
• महापाशुपतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महच्च तत् पाशुपतम्’

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextually introducing Garga’s instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / internal: disciples

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal upadeśa moment: Garga proclaims the Mahā-Pāśupata observance; disciples—calm, resolute, liberation-seeking—sit in attentive rows; the air feels charged with sacred authority.

Characters & Entities

• Garga
• Mahāpāśupata Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For liberation-seekers, a proven discipline grounded in direct realization is upheld as the sure means—here, the Mahāpāśupata vrata.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Avimukta (Kāśī), the broader setting where such Śaiva disciplines are celebrated as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Mahāpāśupata vrata is introduced as the key observance; details are expected in the subsequent verses.