Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

भैरवाद्भैरवी मूर्तिरत्रायाता मनोहरा । संहारभैरवो नाम द्रष्टव्यः स प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

bhairavādbhairavī mūrtiratrāyātā manoharā | saṃhārabhairavo nāma draṣṭavyaḥ sa prayatnataḥ

Translation

De Bhairava s’est manifestée ici la forme enchanteresse de Bhairavī. Il est nommé Saṃhārabhairava, et l’on doit le rechercher et le contempler avec un effort fervent.

Word by Word

• भैरवात्: from Bhairava
• भैरवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; sandhi: भैरवात् + भैरवी → भैरवाद्भैरवी

• भैरवी: Bhairavī (goddess/form)
• भैरवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: form, manifestation
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: ‘here’)

• आयाता: having come
• आयाता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• मनोहरा: charming
• मनोहरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘charming’

• संहारभैरवः: Saṃhāra-bhairava
• संहारभैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार + भैरव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संहारस्य भैरवः)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निपात (quotative particle: ‘by name’)

• द्रष्टव्यः: should be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be seen’

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial ablative); ‘with effort/diligently’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃhārabhairava

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce yet captivating Bhairava form appears in Kāśī—Saṃhārabhairava—surrounded by a halo of flames, with devotees approaching cautiously and resolutely, guided by lamps through narrow lanes.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Bhairavī
• Saṃhārabhairava
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s fierce-divine forms are to be approached with reverence and intention; darśana is presented as spiritually decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The manifestation/site of Saṃhārabhairava in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription of diligent darśana—seek and behold Saṃhārabhairava with effort (prayatnataḥ).