Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यथा च विद्यां तां प्राप मृतसंजीवनीं पराम् । शंभोरनुग्रहात्काव्यस्तन्निशामय सुव्रत

Transliteration

yathā ca vidyāṃ tāṃ prāpa mṛtasaṃjīvanīṃ parām | śaṃbhoranugrahātkāvyastanniśāmaya suvrata

Translation

ഹേ സുവ്രതാ! ശംഭുവിന്റെ അനുഗ്രഹത്താൽ കാവ്യൻ (ശുക്രൻ) ‘മൃതസഞ്ജീവനി’ എന്ന പരമവിദ്യ എങ്ങനെ പ്രാപിച്ചു എന്നു കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• यथा: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (manner/comparison marker)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विद्याम्: knowledge, lore
• विद्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्राप: obtained, attained
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.); परस्मैपद

• मृतसंजीवनीम्: the dead-reviving (science)
• मृतसंजीवनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta + saṃjīvanī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mṛtānāṃ saṃjīvanī = reviver of the dead)

• पराम्: supreme, excellent
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषण (qualifier)

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (sg.)

• अनुग्रहात्: from (by) the grace
• अनुग्रहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative), एकवचन (sg.)

• काव्यः: Kāvya (name/person)
• काव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāvya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• तत्: that (story/matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); सर्वनाम

• निशामय: listen (to it), hear
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śam (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (sg.); परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-नि (ni-śam = to listen/notice)

• सुव्रत: O you of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन (sg.); कर्मधारय (good + vow)

Speaker

Narrator (within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; likely Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) / Viśveśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata (addressed as ‘O man of noble vow’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred narration frame: the Gaṇas introduce how Kāvya/Śukra received the life-reviving Mṛtasaṃjīvanī through Śambhu’s grace, with Kāśī’s sanctity implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Kāvya (Śukra)
• Mṛtasaṃjīvanī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme spiritual powers arise from Śiva’s grace, approached through discipline and right intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa and prepares for the Kāśī-centered tapas account leading to Śiva’s anugraha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: disciplined listening and vow-based conduct (suvrata) as prerequisites for receiving sacred teaching.