Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

यथाशिवस्तथा विष्णुर्यथाविष्णुस्तथा शिवः । अंतरं शिवविष्ण्वोश्च मनागपि न विद्यते

Transliteration

yathāśivastathā viṣṇuryathāviṣṇustathā śivaḥ | aṃtaraṃ śivaviṣṇvośca manāgapi na vidyate

Translation

Tel est Śiva, tel est Viṣṇu ; tel est Viṣṇu, tel est Śiva. Entre Śiva et Viṣṇu, il n’existe pas la moindre différence.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'so/likewise')

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक-अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्तरम्: difference, interval
• अन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवविष्ण्वोः: of Śiva and Viṣṇu
• शिवविष्ण्वोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग-द्विवचनार्थे समासः; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction 'and')

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Visheshaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अल्पत्व-बोधक (adverb: 'even a little')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Visheshaṇa (Particle/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: 'even/also')

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद; भावे/सत्तायाम् (exists)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the luminous precincts of Kāśī, sages and gods witness a doctrinal proclamation: Śiva and Viṣṇu are shown as two forms of one radiance, their attributes subtly interwoven (triśūla with śaṅkha-cakra motifs).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches Hari–Hara aikya: seeing Śiva and Viṣṇu as essentially one, dissolving sectarian division into dharmic unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where divine truths are proclaimed as part of Kāśī’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a doctrinal statement supporting harmonious devotion in Kāśī’s sacred context.