Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । उमे भवत्या यत्पृष्टं भवबंधविमोक्षकृत् । ततोऽहं कथयिष्यामि लिंगं स्थिरमना भव

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | ume bhavatyā yatpṛṣṭaṃ bhavabaṃdhavimokṣakṛt | tato'haṃ kathayiṣyāmi liṃgaṃ sthiramanā bhava

Translation

Devadeva said: “O Umā, what you have asked is that which brings release from the bondage of worldly becoming. Therefore I shall tell you about that Liṅga—be steady and composed in mind.”

Word by Word

• देवदेवः: O God of gods / the supreme deity
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (देवः एव देवः)

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

• उमे: O Umā
• उमे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• भवत्या: by you
• भवत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोगः (honorific ‘you’)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• पृष्टम्: asked
• पृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवबन्धविमोक्षकृत्: (that which) causes liberation from the bondage of worldly existence
• भवबन्धविमोक्षकृत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः: भवस्य बन्धस्य विमोक्षं करोति इति

• ततः: thereupon / then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथयिष्यामि: will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्थिरमना: one whose mind is steady
• स्थिरमना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः: स्थिरं मनः यस्य सः

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Umā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Devadeva) seated in serene posture, addressing Umā with a gesture of instruction; the atmosphere suggests a secret teaching about a steadfast Liṅga in Kāśī’s sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A liberating teaching should be received with steadiness of mind; Śiva frames the Liṅga’s greatness as a means to freedom from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context points to Ānandakānana (the bliss-grove of Kāśī), where a special Liṅga is to be revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it prepares for instruction about the Liṅga and its liberating power.