Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

यथा विष्णुः कृमिर्ज्ञेयस्ताभ्यामेव द्विजोत्तमाः । सदाशिवस्य विज्ञेयौ तथा तौ कृमिरूपकौ

Transliteration

yathā viṣṇuḥ kṛmirjñeyastābhyāmeva dvijottamāḥ | sadāśivasya vijñeyau tathā tau kṛmirūpakau

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dvija, sebagaimana Viṣṇu pun harus diketahui laksana cacing di hadapan kedua-Nya (Śiva dan Śakti), demikian pula kedua-Nya itu harus dipahami, di hadapan Sadāśiva, sebagai berwujud laksana cacing—tak terhingga lebih kecil.

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलना-अव्यय

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृमिः: a worm
• कृमिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञेयः: to be known/considered
• ज्ञेयः: Karta (Predicative adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य कृदन्त (यत्/तव्यत्; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) वा पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), द्विवचन; अत्र तृतीया (by those two)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन

• सदाशिवस्य: of Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा-शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सदा शिवः)

• विज्ञेयौ: to be known/recognized (two)
• विज्ञेयौ: Karta (Predicative adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य कृदन्त (यत्/तव्यत्; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुलना-अव्यय

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (they two)

• कृमिरूपकौ: having the form of worms
• कृमिरूपकौ: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'तौ'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृमि-रूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृमेः रूपम्/रूपकं यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic ladder dissolving into pure light: Viṣṇu small beneath Śiva-Śakti, and above them an abstract, boundless radiance labeled Sadāśiva—no anthropomorphic limit, only a luminous void-fullness.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Śakti
• Sadāśiva
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses the transcendence of Sadāśiva beyond all relative divine ranks, encouraging seekers to aim for the highest realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is identified in this verse; it is part of a broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is metaphysical teaching.