Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सर्वज्ञाननिधे तुभ्यं नमः सर्वज्ञसूनवे । सर्वथा जितमाराय कुमाराय महात्मने

Transliteration

sarvajñānanidhe tubhyaṃ namaḥ sarvajñasūnave | sarvathā jitamārāya kumārāya mahātmane

Translation

Salutations to you, treasury of all knowledge; salutations to the son of the All-Knowing; salutations to Kumāra, the great-souled one, who has conquered Māra in every way.

Word by Word

• सर्वज्ञाननिधे: O treasure of all knowledge
• सर्वज्ञाननिधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajñāna-nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वज्ञानस्य निधिः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Address (Salutation marker/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: नमः-शब्दः (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः), नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• सर्वज्ञसूनवे: to the son of the omniscient (Śiva)
• सर्वज्ञसूनवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvajña-sūnu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वज्ञस्य सूनुः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वथा: entirely, in every way
• सर्वथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• जितमाराय: to the conqueror of Māra
• जितमाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jita-māra (प्रातिपदिक; √ji (जि) + māra)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मारे जितः/मारा जितः—'conqueror of Māra'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुमाराय: to Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (महान् आत्मा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya offers prostration to Skanda depicted as radiant youthful deity, holding the śakti; around them appear symbolic ‘treasury of knowledge’ motifs—scrolls, lotuses, and a subdued figure of Māra at Skanda’s feet.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Skanda (Kumāra)
• Śiva (implied as sarvajña)
• Māra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The deity is revered as both wisdom itself and the conqueror of delusion, encouraging seekers to approach teachings with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it functions as a preface to Kāśī-related instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) as a devotional act is implied.