Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

यथा देव्यै समाख्यायि शिवेन परमात्मना । तथा स्कंदेन कथितं माहात्म्यं कुंभसंभवे

Transliteration

yathā devyai samākhyāyi śivena paramātmanā | tathā skaṃdena kathitaṃ māhātmyaṃ kuṃbhasaṃbhave

Translation

De même que Śiva, le Soi suprême, l’exposa à la Déesse, ainsi Skanda rapporta ce māhātmya à Agastya, né de la jarre.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (correlative adverb: 'as/just as')

• देव्यै: to the goddess
• देव्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• समाख्यायि: was narrated
• समाख्यायि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√khyā (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अतीत), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (was narrated/was told)

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• परमात्मना: by the Supreme Self
• परमात्मना: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: परमः आत्मा (the supreme Self)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप/तुल्यवाचक (correlative adverb: 'so/in the same way')

• स्कंदेन: by Skanda
• स्कंदेन: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• कथितं: told, related
• कथितं: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'told/related'

• माहात्म्यं: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कुंभसंभवे: in/with regard to Kumbhasambhava (Agastya)
• कुंभसंभवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃbha-sambhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: कुंभात् संभवः (born from a pot)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhasambhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered teaching lineage: Śiva instructs Devī; Skanda repeats the same sacred account to sage Agastya, emphasizing continuity of revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Skanda
• Agastya (Kumbhasambhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teachings are validated through sacred transmission—divine revelation passed through revered narrators.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya being referenced belongs to the Kāśī sacred complex in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the authoritative chain of narration.