Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

धर्म उवाच । नमोनमः कारणकारणानां नमोनमः कारणवर्जिताय । नमोनमः कार्यमयाय तुभ्यं नमोनमः कार्यविभिन्नरूप

Transliteration

dharma uvāca | namonamaḥ kāraṇakāraṇānāṃ namonamaḥ kāraṇavarjitāya | namonamaḥ kāryamayāya tubhyaṃ namonamaḥ kāryavibhinnarūpa

Translation

Dharma said: “Homage, homage to You, the cause of all causes; homage to You, who are beyond all causation. Homage to You, who pervade as the very world of effects; homage to You, whose forms appear as the manifold of created things.”

Word by Word

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. used as interjection), एकवचन (Singular); नमस्कारार्थे (salutation usage)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• कारणकारणानाम्: of the cause of causes
• कारणकारणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः कर्मधारयः ‘कारणं कारणम्’ (cause of causes)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• कारणवर्जिताय: to the one devoid of cause
• कारणवर्जिताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारण + वर्जित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (addressed deity; here dative), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तृतीया/पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘कारणेन वर्जितः/कारणात् वर्जितः’ (free from cause)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• कार्य मयाय: to the one consisting of effects
• कार्य मयाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (addressed deity; here dative), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (कार्येण मयः = consisting of effects)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• कार्यविभिन्नरूपः: (you who are) of forms differentiated as effects
• कार्यविभिन्नरूपः: Karta/Viseshya (Predicative nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + विभिन्न + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः ‘कार्येभ्यः विभिन्नं रूपं यस्य’ (having forms differentiated as effects)

Speaker

Dharma (Yama/Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Dharma stands in añjali before a luminous, formless presence that subtly manifests countless forms—suggesting the Lord as both beyond causation and as the world’s multiplicity.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (Yama/Dharmarāja)
• Śiva (addressed, implied by śaśimauli in following verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme (Śiva) is both transcendent (beyond causation) and immanent (present as the manifested world).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where such highest praise of Śiva is voiced as part of the city’s Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra/namaskāra (hymn and salutations) as a devotional act; no other rite is specified.