Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सर्वदेवेषु यो मान्यः सर्वदेवेषु सुंदरः । यायजूकेषु सर्वेषु यः श्रेष्ठः सोस्तु मे पतिः

Transliteration

sarvadeveṣu yo mānyaḥ sarvadeveṣu suṃdaraḥ | yāyajūkeṣu sarveṣu yaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sostu me patiḥ

Translation

May he who is honored among all the gods, beautiful among all the gods, and foremost among all worshipful beings—may that Supreme One be my husband.

Word by Word

• सर्वदेवेषु: among all gods
• सर्वदेवेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्; ‘सर्वे देवाः’ इति कर्मधारय-समासः

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः (relative pronoun)

• मान्यः: honoured, respected
• मान्यः: Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषण/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• सर्वदेवेषु: among all gods
• सर्वदेवेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सुन्दरः: beautiful
• सुन्दरः: Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषण/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• यायजूकेषु: among the ritualists (yāyajūkas)
• यायजूकेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यायजूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘यायजूक’ = यज्ञकर्मणि प्रवृत्तः/याजकः (ritualist)

• सर्वेषु: among all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (यायजूकेषु इत्यस्य)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषण/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संकेत-सूचकः (demonstrative)

• अस्तु: may (he) be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative/विधिलिङ्-सदृश), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; ‘भवतु’ अर्थे

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Predicate nominative (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Pulomā’s daughter (Paulomī) (deduced from context; addressed later as Pulomakanyā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer sages/devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-woman in Kāśī offers a heartfelt stuti, envisioning the most honored and beautiful among gods as her destined husband; the background suggests ghāṭs, lamps, and a liṅga shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pati (desired husband)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desires are to be aligned with dharma—seeking the most worthy and auspicious, not merely the pleasurable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, where vows and prayers gain special potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it is a prayerful intention (saṅkalpa) for an auspicious spouse.