Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

क्रीडेयं तव देवेश त्रिलोचन महामते । किं कारणं विरूपाक्ष चेष्टितं ते स्मरार्दन

Transliteration

krīḍeyaṃ tava deveśa trilocana mahāmate | kiṃ kāraṇaṃ virūpākṣa ceṣṭitaṃ te smarārdana

Translation

Est-ce là ton jeu, ô Seigneur des dieux, Toi aux Trois Yeux, à la grande sagesse ? Quelle est la cause de ta conduite, ô Virūpākṣa, destructeur de Kāma ?

Word by Word

• क्रीडा: play, sport
• क्रीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन; 2nd person pronoun

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• त्रिलोचन: O three-eyed one
• त्रिलोचन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती मतिः यस्य)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• कारणम्: reason, cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• विरूपाक्ष: O odd-eyed one (Virūpākṣa)
• विरूपाक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विरूपम् अक्षि यस्य)

• चेष्टितम्: act, deed, behavior
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (कृदन्त; चेष्ट्/चेष्टय् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) used as noun

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन; enclitic form

• स्मरार्दन: O destroyer of Kāma
• स्मरार्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर + अर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्मरस्य अर्दनः)

Speaker

Viṣṇu addressing Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of Kāśīkhaṇḍa; in-scene: Viṣṇu questioning Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu addresses Śiva with iconic epithets—Trilocana, Virūpākṣa, Smarārdana—asking if the act is līlā and what its cause is; Śiva appears both ascetic and sovereign.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Śiva (Smarārdana)
• Śiva (Virūpākṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s acts are often līlā with a hidden dharmic aim; devotees may ask the reason while maintaining reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual frame (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), presenting Śiva’s deeds as part of Kāśī’s sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an inquiry into the cause of Śiva’s behavior.