Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इत्थं परीत्य मार्तंडो मृडं देवं मृडानिकाम् । अथ तुष्टाव प्रीतात्मा शिववामार्धहारिणीम्

Transliteration

itthaṃ parītya mārtaṃḍo mṛḍaṃ devaṃ mṛḍānikām | atha tuṣṭāva prītātmā śivavāmārdhahāriṇīm

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ മാർത്താണ്ഡൻ (സൂര്യൻ) മൃഡദേവനായ ശിവനെയും മൃഡാനികാ ദേവിയെയും പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്ത്; സന്തുഷ്ടഹൃദയത്തോടെ ശിവന്റെ വാമാർദ്ധധാരിണിയായ ദേവിയെ സ്തുതിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus, in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘एवं/इस प्रकार’

• परीत्य: having gone around, having circumambulated
• परीत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): परि-इ + क्त्वा → परीत्य; अव्ययभावः; ‘परिक्रम्य/पर्यट्य’

• मार्तण्डः: the Sun (Mārtaṇḍa)
• मार्तण्डः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्तण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मृडम्: Mṛḍa (Śiva)
• मृडम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; मृडम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन

• मृडानिकाम्: Mṛḍa’s host/retinue
• मृडानिकाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड + अनिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मृडस्य अनिका (सेना/समूहः) → मृडानिका

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तर्यसूचक particle): ‘ततः/then’

• तुष्टाव: praised
• तुष्टाव: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √स्तु → तुष्टाव

• प्रीतात्मा: with delighted heart
• प्रीतात्मा: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: प्रीतः आत्मा यस्य सः

• शिववामार्धहारिणीम्: her who bears Śiva’s left half (Pārvatī/Ardhanārīśvarī aspect)
• शिववामार्धहारिणीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + वाम + अर्ध + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (समास-श्रृङ्खला): शिवस्य वामार्धं हरति या सा

Speaker

Narrator (contextual narrator within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; traditionally Skanda relating to Agastya in Kāśī Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśvanātha/Devī-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sun-god (Mārtaṇḍa) completes a reverent circumambulation around Śiva and the gentle Devī, then stands with folded hands, face radiant, beginning a hymn to the Goddess who shares Śiva’s left half.

Characters & Entities

• Mārtaṇḍa (Sūrya)
• Śiva (Mṛḍa)
• Devī (Śivavāmārdhahāriṇī/Ardhanārī aspect)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship unites reverence (parikramā) with praise, honoring both Śiva and Śakti as inseparable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where circumambulation and praise of the divine couple are upheld as especially sanctifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Parikramā (circumambulation) of Śiva and Devī is explicitly described.