Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । तासां परमशक्तीनामुमावयवसंभुवाम् । आख्याम्याख्यां शृणु मुने कुंभसंभव तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | tāsāṃ paramaśaktīnāmumāvayavasaṃbhuvām | ākhyāmyākhyāṃ śṛṇu mune kuṃbhasaṃbhava tattvataḥ

Translation

Skanda dit : «De ces Śaktis suprêmes—nées des membres mêmes d’Umā—je vais proclamer les appellations. Écoute, ô sage Kumbha-sambhava, selon la vérité».

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तासाम्: of those
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परमशक्तीनाम्: of the supreme powers
• परमशक्तीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमाः शक्तयः)

• उमावयवसम्भुवाम्: born from Umā’s limbs
• उमावयवसम्भुवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवयव (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भू (धातु-कृदन्ताधार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उमायाः अवयवात् सम्भूताः)

• आख्यामि: I declare/name
• आख्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• आख्याम्: the name/designation
• आख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (आख्यां = नाम/संज्ञाम्)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कुम्भसम्भव: O pot-born one (Agastya)
• कुम्भसम्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुम्भात् सम्भवः)

• तत्त्वतः: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वतः: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbha-sambhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda begins a formal revelation: he turns slightly toward Agastya, right hand in teaching gesture (vyākhyāna-mudrā), indicating he will enumerate Umā’s supreme Śaktis ‘in truth’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Agastya (Kumbha-sambhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is taught as manifold yet rooted in one source—Umā—whose aspects are revealed through sacred names.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting; the verse itself functions as an introduction to a nāmāvalī-style enumeration rather than a tirtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it initiates a doctrinal listing intended for remembrance and recitation.