Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु शतेन गुणितं मुने । आराधयञ्शिवं सोमं सोमार्धकृतशेखरम्

Transliteration

divyavarṣasahasraṃ tu śatena guṇitaṃ mune | ārādhayañśivaṃ somaṃ somārdhakṛtaśekharam

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ, ആയിരം ദിവ്യവർഷങ്ങളെ നൂറിരട്ടിയാക്കി, അർദ്ധചന്ദ്രം ശിരസ്സിൽ ധരിച്ച ശിവനെ അദ്ദേഹം നിരന്തരം ആരാധിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• दिव्य-वर्ष-सहस्रम्: a thousand divine years
• दिव्य-वर्ष-सहस्रम्: Karma (Measure/Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (divine years + thousand)

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• शतेन: by a hundred (times)
• शतेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; प्रमाणवाचक (as multiplier)

• गुणितम्: multiplied
• गुणितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → गुणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; 'दिव्यवर्षसहस्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• आराधयन्: worshipping
• आराधयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त) → आराधयत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सोमम्: Soma (moon-bearer/epithet)
• सोमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; 'शिवम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• सोम-अर्ध-कृत-शेखरम्: whose crest is made of half the moon
• सोम-अर्ध-कृत-शेखरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य अर्धं कृतः शेखरः यस्य) बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada associated with Gabhastīśvara/Candrasekhara worship

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surya, radiant yet humble, performs worship of Śiva Candrasekhara for an unimaginably long span—offering water and bilva to a liṅga under a night sky where the crescent moon gleams on Śiva’s crown, blending solar and lunar symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Soma (Moon)
• Sahasraraśmi (context)
• Agastya (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great spiritual attainments are linked to sustained ārādhana; Śiva’s grace is approached through perseverance and reverent worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Pañcanada tīrtha-linked narrative where these consecrations and worship occurred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (formal worship/propitiation) of Śiva is highlighted, framed by extraordinary duration as a model of tapas.