Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

किमन्यैर्गुणसंभारैरतोपि न समं विधोः । निजोत्तमांगे सर्वज्ञः कलां यस्यावतंसयेत्

Transliteration

kimanyairguṇasaṃbhārairatopi na samaṃ vidhoḥ | nijottamāṃge sarvajñaḥ kalāṃ yasyāvataṃsayet

Translation

À quoi bon d’autres amas de vertus ? Rien n’égale la Lune, car l’Omniscient, Śiva, en fait un ornement : sa propre phase est posée sur son membre le plus élevé, la tête.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (गुणसंभारैः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गुणसंभारैः: by collections of qualities
• गुणसंभारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + संभार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः गुणानां संभारः

• अतः: therefore/than this
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (indeclinable: therefore/from this)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अस्ति) इति अध्याहृत-क्रियायाः विधेयम्

• विधोः: of the Moon
• विधोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निजोत्तमाङ्गे: on (his) own head
• निजोत्तमाङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः निज + उत्तमाङ्ग (उत्तमम् अङ्गम्)

• सर्वज्ञः: the omniscient one (Śiva)
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यः सर्वं जानाति

• कलाम्: a digit/phase
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतंसयेत्: would adorn/place as an ornament
• अवतंसयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + तंस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense not required here—'to place as an ornament'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues, commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / interlocutor(s)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, the omniscient lord, seated or standing with matted locks, the crescent moon set as an ornament on His head; the Moon-god shown in miniature reverently offering his kalā; Kāśī’s temple spires and Gaṅgā hinted behind.

Characters & Entities

• Candramā (Moon)
• Śiva (Sarvajña)
• Candraśekhara motif

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

That which is embraced by Śiva becomes supremely venerable—divine association is the highest consecration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is theological (Śiva as Candraśekhara) within Kāśī-khaṇḍa; it does not name a distinct tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it conveys Shaiva devotional theology through the crescent-moon emblem.