Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

मदाद्यो महादेव मायया तव मोहिताः । यथावदवगच्छामि चेष्टितं ते शिवापते

Transliteration

madādyo mahādeva māyayā tava mohitāḥ | yathāvadavagacchāmi ceṣṭitaṃ te śivāpate

Translation

«À commencer par moi, ô Mahādeva, nous sommes fascinés par ta māyā. Pourtant, je comprends comme il se doit ton dessein et ton agir, ô Seigneur de Śivā».

Word by Word

• मत्: from me
• मत्: अपादान (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• आद्यः: beginning with / first
• आद्यः: कर्ता/विशेषण (Subject/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘प्रथमः’ अर्थे

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• मायया: by māyā
• मायया: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• मोहिताः: deluded
• मोहिताः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहित (कृदन्त, √मुह्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to implied ‘वयम्’)

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘यथाविधि/सम्यक्’

• अवगच्छामि: I understand
• अवगच्छामि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चेष्टितम्: deed / action
• चेष्टितम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (कृदन्त, √चेष्ट्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद (thing done)

• ते: of you / your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शिवापते: O Lord Śiva
• शिवापते: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (‘शिवस्य पतिः’/‘शिवः पति:’ रूढ्या)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A candid confession before Śiva: ‘Even I am deluded by your māyā, yet I grasp your true intent’; depict a thin veil motif and a clear-eyed gaze toward Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva/Śivāpati)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings can be deluded by māyā; true understanding comes from recognizing the Lord’s purpose behind events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse is not tied to a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it supports contemplative devotion and discernment of the Lord’s will.