Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

पितामहोपि स्थविरो भृशं नम्रशिरोधरः । प्रणतेन मृडेनैव प्रणमन्विनिवारितः

Transliteration

pitāmahopi sthaviro bhṛśaṃ namraśirodharaḥ | praṇatena mṛḍenaiva praṇamanvinivāritaḥ

Translation

Aun Pitāmaha (Brahmā), anciano y con la cabeza hondamente inclinada, fue impedido de postrarse, pues Mṛḍa (Śiva) mismo, ya inclinado en reverencia, lo detuvo.

Word by Word

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थे/समुच्चय (also/even)

• स्थविरः: aged, venerable
• स्थविरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थविर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine; adjective to पितामहः

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (exceedingly)

• नम्रशिरोधरः: with bowed head
• नम्रशिरोधरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम्र + शिरस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य शिरः नम्रम् सः) ‘one whose head is bowed’; Nominative singular

• प्रणतेन: by the one who had bowed
• प्रणतेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘प्रणत’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; Instrumental singular ‘by the bowed one’

• मृडेन: by Mṛḍa (Śiva)
• मृडेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by Mṛḍa/Śiva)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (indeed/only)

• प्रणमन्: bowing
• प्रणमन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; ‘bowing’

• विनिवारितः: was prevented
• विनिवारितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-वार् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ‘विनिवारित’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘was restrained/prevented’ (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, aged and dignified, inclines to bow; Śiva, already bent in reverence, gently restrains him—two great deities in a quiet exchange of humility.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Śiva (Mṛḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greatness is marked by humility; Śiva’s grace expresses itself as respectful restraint and mutual honoring.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where even Brahmā’s reverence is sanctified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on maryādā (sacred etiquette) and praṇāma.