Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

आकारयति मित्राणि शिवनाम्नाऽखिलानि सः । चंद्रशेखरभूतेश मृत्युंजय मृडेश्वरः

Transliteration

ākārayati mitrāṇi śivanāmnā'khilāni saḥ | caṃdraśekharabhūteśa mṛtyuṃjaya mṛḍeśvaraḥ

Translation

അവൻ തന്റെ സുഹൃത്തുകളെയും ശിവനാമങ്ങളാൽ തന്നെ വിളിച്ചു—‘ചന്ദ്രശേഖര’, ‘ഭൂതേശ’, ‘മൃത്യുഞ്ജയ’, ‘മൃഡേശ്വര’ മുതലായവ।

Word by Word

• आकारयति: calls/summons
• आकारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√कृ (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; णिजन्त (causative)

• मित्राणि: friends
• मित्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शिवनाम्ना: by the name of Śiva
• शिवनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव+नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य नाम्ना)

• अखिलानि: all
• अखिलानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मित्राणि’ इति विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चन्द्रशेखर: O Moon-crested (Śiva)
• चन्द्रशेखर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र+शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (चन्द्रः शेखरः यस्य)

• भूतेश: O Lord of beings
• भूतेश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत+ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भूतानाम् ईशः)

• मृत्युञ्जय: O Conqueror of death
• मृत्युञ्जय: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु+जि (प्रातिपदिक; जि=√जि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृत्युम् जयति इति)

• मृडेश्वरः: Mṛḍeśvara (Lord Mṛḍa/Śiva)
• मृडेश्वरः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड+ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृडस्य ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harikeśa among friends, smiling as he calls them ‘Candraśekhara’, ‘Bhūteśa’, ‘Mṛtyuṃjaya’, ‘Mṛḍeśvara’; the children respond playfully, while a faint Śiva aura or crescent motif hovers above.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa
• Śiva
• Candraśekhara
• Bhūteśa
• Mṛtyuṃjaya
• Mṛḍeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Constant remembrance of Śiva through His names sanctifies speech and mind, turning ordinary life into devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered glorification, in the stream of Nādeśvara’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-smaraṇa (recollection and use of Śiva’s names) is exemplified as a devotional practice.