Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

स्मृत्वा शिवौ गणाध्यक्षमूर्ध्वीभूतमुदङ्मुखम् । मुनिः परिममौ बालमापादतलमस्तकम्

Transliteration

smṛtvā śivau gaṇādhyakṣamūrdhvībhūtamudaṅmukham | muniḥ parimamau bālamāpādatalamastakam

Translation

ガナの主シヴァを念じつつ、賢者は、少年を北に向けてまっすぐ立たせ、足裏から頭頂までを量った。

Word by Word

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ-धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• śivau: the two Śivas (Śiva and Śakti / the divine pair)
• śivau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (शिव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन

• gaṇa-adhyakṣa-mūrdhvībhūtam-udaṅmukham: (the boy) as the leader of the gaṇas, raised upward, facing north
• gaṇa-adhyakṣa-mūrdhvībhūtam-udaṅmukham: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṇa (गण) + adhyakṣa (अध्यक्ष) + ūrdhvībhūta (ऊर्ध्वीभूत) + udaṅmukha (उदङ्मुख)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; विशेषण (बालम्)

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• parimamau: measured
• parimamau: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mā (मा-धातु; माने/मितौ) + pari- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bālam: the boy
• bālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (बाल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ā-pāda-tala-mastakam: from foot-soles to head
• ā-pāda-tala-mastakam: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण-परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (आ-उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pāda (पाद) + tala (तल) + mastaka (मस्तक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (आ + पादतल + मस्तक) = ‘from the soles of the feet up to the head’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) narrating to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada silently remembers Śiva, the gaṇa-lord, while the boy stands upright facing north; the sage measures him from feet to crown with composed concentration.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• gaṇādhyakṣa
• muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious actions are grounded in remembrance of Śiva; sacred intention sanctifies even practical acts like examination and measurement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa frames the account within the greatness of Kāśī, though this verse highlights Śaiva remembrance and auspicious procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The boy is made to stand upright facing north, and is measured from foot-soles to head as part of an auspicious assessment.