Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

त्वं हंसि पासि सृजसि क्षणतः स्वलीला लीलावपुर्धर विरिंचिनतांघ्रियुग्म । विश्वं त्वमेव परविश्वपतिस्त्वमेव विश्वस्यबीजमसि तत्प्रणतोस्मि नित्यम्

Transliteration

tvaṃ haṃsi pāsi sṛjasi kṣaṇataḥ svalīlā līlāvapurdhara viriṃcinatāṃghriyugma | viśvaṃ tvameva paraviśvapatistvameva viśvasyabījamasi tatpraṇatosmi nityam

Translation

ನೀನು ನಿನ್ನ ಸ್ವಲೀಲೆಯಿಂದ ಕ್ಷಣಮಾತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಹಾರ, ಪಾಲನೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀ—ಹೇ ಲೀಲಾಮಯ ಸ್ವರೂಪಧರ! ನಿನ್ನ ಪಾದಯುಗ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನೂ ನಮಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈ ವಿಶ್ವ ನೀನೇ, ವಿಶ್ವದ ಪರಮಾಧಿಪತಿಯೂ ನೀನೇ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಬೀಜವೂ ನೀನೇ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಾನು ನಿತ್ಯ ನಿನಗೆ ಪ್ರಣಾಮ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.

Word by Word

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Second person pronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• haṃsi: destroy
• haṃsi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• pāsi: protect
• pāsi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु, ‘to protect’)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• sṛjasi: create, emit
• sṛjasi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• kṣaṇataḥ: in an instant
• kṣaṇataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाव), ‘from a moment’ = ‘instantly’

• sva-līlā: (by) your own play
• sva-līlā: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘your own play’ (instrument/means implied)

• līlā-vapuḥ-dhara: O bearer of a playful form
• līlā-vapuḥ-dhara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + vapuḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; ‘bearer (dhara) of a playful form (līlā-vapuḥ)’

• viriṃci-nata-aṅghri-yugma: O you whose pair of feet is bowed to by Brahmā
• viriṃci-nata-aṅghri-yugma: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viriṃci (प्रातिपदिक) + nata (कृदन्त, √nam) + aṅghri (प्रातिपदिक) + yugma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; ‘whose pair of feet (aṅghri-yugma) is bowed to (nata) by Viriñci (Brahmā)’

• viśvam: the universe
• viśvam: Karma/Viśeṣya (Object/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object/complement

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed, alone
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle of emphasis

• para-viśva-patiḥ: lord of the transcendent universe
• para-viśva-patiḥ: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate nominative ‘lord of the supreme universe’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle of emphasis

• viśvasya: of the universe
• viśvasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• bījam: seed, source
• bījam: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate nominative

• asi: are
• asi: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

• tat-praṇataḥ: bowed to you
• tat-praṇataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇata (कृदन्त, √nam)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective used substantively ‘one bowed to that (you)’

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb

Speaker

Agnibindu (the ascetic), praising Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu as cosmic Lord: within His aura appear miniature cycles of creation, preservation, dissolution; Brahmā bows at His feet; the sage offers constant obeisance; the scene conveys līlā—effortless cosmic governance.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (Viriñci)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is affirmed as the ultimate source and controller—creation, protection, and dissolution occur as His līlā—encouraging wholehearted surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka is theological; the chapter’s Kāśī setting frames the devotion that culminates in the Pañcanada Hrada boon.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the act of constant reverential bowing (praṇāma) and contemplation is implied.