Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36
त्वत्तो जगत्त्वं जगदेवसाक्षाज्जगत्त्वदीयं जगदेकबंधो । हर्ताविता त्वं प्रथमो विधाता विधातृविष्ण्वीश नमो नमस्ते
tvatto jagattvaṃ jagadevasākṣājjagattvadīyaṃ jagadekabaṃdho | hartāvitā tvaṃ prathamo vidhātā vidhātṛviṣṇvīśa namo namaste
汝より世界の実在が生じ、まことに汝は宇宙の顕現せる証人である。この宇宙は汝のもの、あらゆる創造の唯一の縁者よ。汝は最初の制定者、また破壊者にして守護者。梵天と毘湿奴の源なる主よ、敬礼、敬礼を汝に。
Unnamed devotee/praiser (contextually within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration; immediately before Skanda’s speech at 42)
Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A devotee in Kāśī offers folded hands before Viśveśvara-liṅga; behind the liṅga, a cosmic vision shows the universe arising and dissolving within Śiva, with Brahmā and Viṣṇu as emanated powers.
FAQs
Śiva is praised as the ultimate source, witness, and governor of creation—devotion rests on recognizing his all-encompassing lordship.
The setting is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī), though this verse focuses on universal Śiva-stuti rather than naming a single tīrtha.
No specific rite is prescribed here; it is a theological praise (stuti) establishing Śiva’s supremacy.