Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

अष्टमूर्त्यष्टकेनेष्टं परिष्टूयेति भार्गवः । भर्गभूमिमिलन्मौलिः प्रणनाम पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

aṣṭamūrtyaṣṭakeneṣṭaṃ pariṣṭūyeti bhārgavaḥ | bhargabhūmimilanmauliḥ praṇanāma punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

അഷ്ടമൂർത്തിസ്വരൂപനായ ദേവനെ അഷ്ടകസ്തുതിയാൽ പ്രീതിപൂർവ്വം പുകഴ്ത്തിയ ഭാർഗവൻ, ദീപ്തമായ ഭൂമിയെ ശിരസ്സാൽ സ്പർശിച്ച്, വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും പ്രണാമം ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• aṣṭamūrti: with the eight-formed (aspect)
• aṣṭamūrti: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अष्टमूर्तिः’ (eight-formed deity)

• aṣṭakena: by the octad (set of eight)
• aṣṭakena: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• iṣṭam: the desired/pleasing (hymn/praise)
• iṣṭam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मपदं (object)

• pariṣṭūya: having praised
• pariṣṭūya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-stu (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having praised’

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• bhārgavaḥ: Bhārgava
• bhārgavaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• bharga: of Bharga (radiant Lord/Śiva)
• bharga: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūmi: the ground
• bhūmi: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• milan: touching
• milan: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mil (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘joining/touching’

• mauliḥ: (his) head/crown
• mauliḥ: Karta (Appositive/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘मौलिः’ = head/crown

• praṇanāma: bowed down
• praṇanāma: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-nam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• punaḥpunaḥ: again and again
• punaḥpunaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (reduplicated adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (purāṇic narration; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Audience of the Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhārgava completes an octad-hymn and repeatedly prostrates, his crown/topknot touching the shining ground of the sacred precinct, suggesting a sanctified courtyard near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārgava
• Śiva (Aṣṭamūrti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion matures into humility—true praise culminates in repeated surrender (praṇāma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the act of bowing to Śiva underscores Kāśī as the foremost realm for Śaiva worship and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of an Aṣṭamūrti-aṣṭaka (octad hymn) and repeated praṇāma (prostration).