Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अरूपरूपाय समस्तरूपिणे पराणुरूपाय परापराय । अपारपाराय पराब्धिपार प्रदाय तुभ्यं शशिमौलये नमः

Transliteration

arūparūpāya samastarūpiṇe parāṇurūpāya parāparāya | apārapārāya parābdhipāra pradāya tubhyaṃ śaśimaulaye namaḥ

Translation

Salutation to You—formless, yet the giver of form, the Bearer of all forms; subtler than the subtlest, beyond both higher and lower. Salutation to the Limitless One, the far shore of the boundless, who grants passage beyond the supreme ocean—O Lord with the moon upon Your crest.

Word by Word

• अरूपरूपाय: to the formless-form (formless yet with form)
• अरूपरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + रूप + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine; addressed deity), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारयः ‘अरूपः (च) रूपः (च)’ (formless yet having form)

• समस्तरूपिणे: to the one having all forms
• समस्तरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (समस्तानि रूपाणि यस्य)

• पराणुरूपाय: to the one whose form is subtler than the atom
• पराणुरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + अणु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (परमाणोः रूपम्/पर-अणु-रूपः)

• परापराय: to the supreme and the non-supreme (beyond both)
• परापराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा + अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (परा च अपरा च)

• अपारपाराय: to the shoreless and the shore
• अपारपाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + पार + पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः ‘अपारः (च) पारः (च)’ (shoreless yet the shore)

• पराब्धिपारप्रदाय: to the giver of the far shore of the supreme ocean
• पराब्धिपारप्रदाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा + अब्धि + पार + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अब्धेः पारं प्रददाति इति)

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

• शशिमौलये: to the moon-crested one
• शशिमौलये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शशिनः मौलिः यस्य)

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

Speaker

Dharma (Yama/Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast cosmic ocean with a radiant far shore; above, Śiva with crescent moon, simultaneously appearing as pure light and as countless forms; Dharma/sage offers salutations at a Kāśī ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śaśimauli)
• Dharma (speaker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva transcends all categories yet compassionately becomes accessible, granting the ‘far shore’—mokṣa beyond worldly becoming.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied locus of mokṣa theology—Śiva as the liberator is central to Kāśī’s Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional salutation and stotra; no specific vrata or dāna is stated.