Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । आदौ तावददोषं हि ब्रह्मत्वं ब्राह्मणस्य ते । वाजिमेधाध्वराणां च ततोपि दशकं कृतम्

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | ādau tāvadadoṣaṃ hi brahmatvaṃ brāhmaṇasya te | vājimedhādhvarāṇāṃ ca tatopi daśakaṃ kṛtam

Translation

Le Seigneur des dieux dit : D’abord, ta condition de brāhmaṇa—ton état brahmique—est vraiment sans faute. De plus, tu as accompli jusqu’à dix sacrifices d’Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• देवदेवः: Devadeva (Lord of gods)
• देवदेवः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक; components: देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: वच् (to speak)

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial locative)

• तावत्: so far/for the time being
• तावत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधारणार्थक (so much/for the time being)

• अदोषम्: faultless
• अदोषम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-निर्दोष (faultless); विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• ब्रह्मत्वम्: Brahminhood / the status of Brahman
• ब्रह्मत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मत्व (प्रातिपदिक; from ब्रह्मन् + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being Brahman/Brahminhood)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (your)

• वाजिमेधाध्वराणाम्: of the Aśvamedha sacrifices
• वाजिमेधाध्वराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिमेध-अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक; components: वाजिमेध + अध्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाजिमेधस्य अध्वरः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रम (from that/thereafter)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• दशकम्: a tenfold set / ten (times)
• दशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-समूह (a set of ten)

• कृतम्: was done/made
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhātṛ (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, as Devadeva, formally commends Brahmā’s blameless brāhmaṇatva and the completion of ten Aśvamedhas—visualized as symbolic sacrificial imagery behind the dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Brahmā
• Aśvamedha (Vāji-medha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva acknowledges orthodox merit—pure dharma and great yajñas—before revealing an even higher sacred principle connected to devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī, since the dialogue belongs to Kāśī-māhātmya; the verse itself highlights sacrificial merit as context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice) is referenced as a great yajña, though not prescribed here as an instruction.