Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

विधातुः शांभवीं भक्तिं प्रिय सर्वे मनोरथाः । सिद्धयोष्टौ गृहद्वारं सेवंते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

vidhātuḥ śāṃbhavīṃ bhaktiṃ priya sarve manorathāḥ | siddhayoṣṭau gṛhadvāraṃ sevaṃte nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ô bien-aimé, pour le Créateur (Brahmā), par la dévotion à Śambhu, tous les désirs deviennent accessibles; et les huit siddhis eux-mêmes se tiennent au seuil de la demeure—sans aucun doute.

Word by Word

• विधातुः: of the creator/ordainer
• विधातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive); एकवचन

• शाम्भवीम्: Śaiva, belonging to Śambhu
• शाम्भवीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाम्भवी (प्रातिपदिक; शम्भु-सम्बन्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भक्तिम्)

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रिय: dear, pleasing
• प्रिय: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मनोरथाः)

• मनोरथाः: wishes, desires
• मनोरथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• सिद्धयः: accomplishments, siddhis
• सिद्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (सिद्धयः)

• गृहद्वारम्: the door of the house
• गृहद्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गृहस्य द्वारम्)

• सेवन्ते: attend, wait upon, serve
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śambhu-bhakti)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘priya’—a close interlocutor within the Kāśī discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a Kāśī threshold with a Śiva shrine inside; personified Aṣṭa-siddhis stand respectfully like attendants at the doorway, while the devotee remains focused on Śambhu rather than them.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Śiva
• Brahmā (Vidhātṛ)
• Aṣṭa-siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva is exalted as so powerful that even siddhis and fulfilled aims follow naturally.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Śiva’s grace, a hallmark of Kāśī’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific vow or rite is stated; the emphasis is on Śambhu-bhakti as the efficacious means.