Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

प्रायशः शंभुभक्तेषु यतस्त्वं प्रोच्यसेऽग्रणीः । एकोनेऽब्जसहस्रेप्राग्ददौ नेत्रांबुजं भवान्

Transliteration

prāyaśaḥ śaṃbhubhakteṣu yatastvaṃ procyase'graṇīḥ | ekone'bjasahasreprāgdadau netrāṃbujaṃ bhavān

Translation

ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ನೀನು ಶಂಭುಭಕ್ತರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಗ್ರಣಿಯೆಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ. ಹಿಂದೆ ಸಾವಿರ ಪದ್ಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾದಾಗ, ನೀನು ನಿನ್ನದೇ ಪದ್ಮನೇತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದ್ದೆ.

Word by Word

• प्रायशः: generally
• प्रायशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायशस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: generally/for the most part)

• शंभु-भक्तेषु: among devotees of Śambhu
• शंभु-भक्तेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शंभोः भक्ताः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• यतः: since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय/यद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/यस्मात् (since/because)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• प्रोच्यसे: are called
• प्रोच्यसे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• अग्रणीः: leader
• अग्रणीः: Pratipādya (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एकोने: one less (than)
• एकोने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (द्विगु-सदृश संख्याविशेषण: एकेन ऊनम् = one less), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/सप्तमी एकवचन (सहस्रे इति विशेष्ये)

• अब्ज-सहस्रे: in a thousand lotuses
• अब्ज-सहस्रे: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: अब्जानां सहस्रम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• प्राक्: formerly
• प्राक्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly/before)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नेत्र-अम्बुजम्: the eye-lotus (i.e., an eye)
• नेत्र-अम्बुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (नेत्रम् एव अम्बुजम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम (honorific ‘you’)

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience within the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A laudatory recollection: the devotee, short of one lotus in a thousand-lotus offering, plucks/places his own lotus-like eye as the final offering to Śambhu.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śambhu
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is self-offering; the highest bhakti transcends sectarian division and honors the Supreme through humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s larger purpose is Kāśī’s glory; this verse instead recalls a famed act of devotion to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to lotus-offering worship (puṣpārcana) to Śiva, highlighting completeness and sincerity in worship.