Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं षड्भिर्वक्त्रैः कथं मया । वक्तुं शक्यं न शक्नोति सहस्रास्योपि यत्परम्

Transliteration

avimuktasya māhātmyaṃ ṣaḍbhirvaktraiḥ kathaṃ mayā | vaktuṃ śakyaṃ na śaknoti sahasrāsyopi yatparam

Translation

അവിമുക്തത്തിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം ഞാൻ ആറു മുഖങ്ങളാൽ എങ്ങനെ പറയാൻ കഴിയും? അതിന്റെ പരമ മഹിമയെ സഹസ്രമുഖനും പൂർണ്ണമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तस्य: of Avimukta
• अविमुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: object of 'to tell')

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• वक्त्रैः: with mouths/faces
• वक्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक (to speak)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक्-धातोः क्तव्य/यत्-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-विशेषण (possible)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सहस्रास्यः: even one with a thousand mouths
• सहस्रास्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (one who has a thousand mouths)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवादसूचक-अव्यय (even/also)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• परम्: supreme, beyond
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda (six-faced) gestures toward a radiant map-like mandala of Avimukta; behind him, a cosmic figure with countless mouths (symbolic) attempts to praise but is overwhelmed by the kṣetra’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Māhātmya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse uses devotional hyperbole to assert Avimukta’s immeasurable sanctity, encouraging reverence and faith in the kṣetra’s liberating power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a praise-verse emphasizing the limitless māhātmya of the sacred place.