Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तानागतान्समालोक्य शिवो व्रह्माणमब्रवीत् । विधेविधेहि मद्वाक्यादमुं वाचस्पतिं मुनिम्

Transliteration

tānāgatānsamālokya śivo vrahmāṇamabravīt | vidhevidhehi madvākyādamuṃ vācaspatiṃ munim

Translation

Les voyant tous rassemblés, Śiva dit à Brahmā : «Ô Ordonnateur, selon ma parole, établis dûment ce sage Vācaspati».

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural pronoun)

• आगतान्: arrived
• आगतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘तान्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; ‘आगत’ = come/arrived

• समालोक्य: having observed
• समालोक्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having looked at/observed’

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विधे: O Creator (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Vocative); Brahmā as ‘Vidhe’

• विधेहि: appoint/ordain/do
• विधेहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञार्थ क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मद्-वाक्यात्: from my word/command
• मद्-वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद् (सर्वनाम) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम वाक्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• अमुम्: this (that person)
• अमुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• वाचस्पतिम्: Vācaspati (lord of speech)
• वाचस्पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाचसः पतिः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मुनिम्: sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Apposition to ‘अमुम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; reporting Śiva’s words)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva surveys the assembled hosts and addresses Brahmā, instructing him to appoint the sage Vācaspati by Śiva’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā (Vidhātṛ)
• Vācaspati (Bṛhaspati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority is rooted in divine dharma—Śiva directs, and Brahmā administers the cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting where the glory of later Bṛhaspatīśvara is established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An administrative-sacral act is implied: formal appointment (vidhi) rather than a lay ritual.