Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

परं त्वं सर्वजगतां जनयित्र्येकिका ध्रुवम् । त्वत्त आविर्भवंत्येव धातृकेशववासवाः

Transliteration

paraṃ tvaṃ sarvajagatāṃ janayitryekikā dhruvam | tvatta āvirbhavaṃtyeva dhātṛkeśavavāsavāḥ

Translation

You alone are truly the supreme Mother of all worlds, unfailingly so. From you indeed arise even Dhātṛ (Brahmā), Keśava (Viṣṇu), and Vāsava (Indra).

Word by Word

• param: supreme (indeed)
• param: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्वम् इत्यस्य स्तुत्यर्थे)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-jagatām: of all the worlds
• sarva-jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वं जगत् = all worlds/beings)

• janayitrī: progenitress/creator (female agent)
• janayitrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• ekikā: alone/unique
• ekikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• dhruvam: certainly
• dhruvam: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (certainly)

• tvattas: from you
• tvattas: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (त्वत्तः)

• āvirbhavanti: manifest/appear
• āvirbhavanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āvir√bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• dhātṛ-keśava-vāsavāḥ: Dhātṛ (Brahmā), Keśava (Viṣṇu), and Vāsava (Indra)
• dhātṛ-keśava-vāsavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātṛ + keśava + vāsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (इतरेतरयोग)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition, Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Devī-centered upāsanā within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic Devī (Mahādevī) radiates the universe; from her emanate Brahmā on lotus, Viṣṇu with conch/discus, and Indra with vajra—shown as arising like sparks from her presence.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Śakti)
• Dhātṛ (Brahmā)
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Vāsava (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches the supremacy of the Divine Mother as the source of cosmic powers, grounding devotion in the ultimate origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī Khaṇḍa, such praise supports the sacred landscape of Kāśī where Śiva-Śakti’s presence is considered immediate and liberating.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse functions as stuti (praise) and theological instruction.