Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । पार्वतीशस्य महिमा कथितस्ते मयानघ । मुने निशामयेदानीं गंगेश्वरसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | pārvatīśasya mahimā kathitaste mayānagha | mune niśāmayedānīṃ gaṃgeśvarasamudbhavam

Translation

Skanda said: “O sinless one, I have told you the greatness of Pārvatīśa (Śiva). Now, O sage, listen to the account of the origin of Gaṅgeśvara.”

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता

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

• पार्वतीशस्य: of Pārvatīśa (Śiva)
• पार्वतीशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• महिमा: greatness; glory
• महिमा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कथितः: has been told
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (is) told

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्प्रदानार्थे (to you)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by me)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-पदम्

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• निशामय: listen; hear
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• गङ्गेश्वरसमुद्भवम्: the origin/story of Gaṅgeśvara
• गङ्गेश्वरसमुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-ईश्वर-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (what is to be heard)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgeśvara (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (unnamed; addressed as anagha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda (Kārttikeya) as narrator addressing a sage; behind them, Kāśī’s ghāṭs and a small Gaṅgā-side Śiva shrine indicating Gaṅgeśvara’s setting.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Pārvatīśa (Śiva)
• Gaṅgeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted through attentive listening (śravaṇa), leading from Śiva’s glory to the specific sacred manifestation Gaṅgeśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), introducing the Gaṅgeśvara sacred context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription to listen (niśāmaya)—śravaṇa as a meritorious practice—preparing for the tirtha narrative.