Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शंकरं शरणं व्रज । यदिच्छसि प्रियं पुत्रं प्रियसर्वजनीनकम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śaṃkaraṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja | yadicchasi priyaṃ putraṃ priyasarvajanīnakam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടും കൂടി ശങ്കരനിൽ ശരണം പ്രാപിക്ക. എല്ലാവർക്കും പ്രിയനായ പ്രിയപുത്രനെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, അവനെയേ ആശ്രയിക്ക.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival adverbial: 'therefore/from that')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वः प्रयत्नः यस्य/सर्वप्रयत्नः)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as predicate-object: 'as refuge')

• व्रज: go; take (refuge)
• व्रज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय (conditional particle: 'if')

• इच्छसि: you desire
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रियम्: dear; beloved
• प्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुत्रम्)

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रियसर्वजनीनकम्: beloved by all people
• प्रियसर्वजनीनकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + सर्वजनीनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (प्रियः च सर्वजनीनकः च = 'dear and pleasing to all people'); विशेषणम् (पुत्रम्)

Speaker

Wife of Pūrṇabhadra (addressing Pūrṇabhadra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (with implied focus on Śaṅkara’s presence)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counsel scene: a devoted wife urging her husband to take refuge in Śaṅkara; Kāśī’s sacred skyline hinted with temples and the Gaṅgā in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wholehearted refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Śiva is presented as the sure path to fulfilling righteous desires.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī, where Śiva’s presence and grace are especially celebrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed here; the instruction is devotional—seek Śaṅkara as refuge with full effort.