Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

श्रीशैल शिखरं श्रीमदिदंतद्यद्विलोकनात् । पुनर्भवो मनुष्याणां भवेत्र नभवेत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

śrīśaila śikharaṃ śrīmadidaṃtadyadvilokanāt | punarbhavo manuṣyāṇāṃ bhavetra nabhavetkvacit

Translation

ഈ ശ്രീശൈലത്തിന്റെ ശ്രിമദ് ശിഖരം—ഇത് ദർശിച്ചതുമാത്രത്തിൽ—മനുഷ്യരുടെ പുനർഭവം അവസാനിക്കാം; പിന്നെ എവിടെയും വീണ്ടും ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• śrī-śaila: Śrīśaila
• śrī-śaila: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextually apposition), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् शैलः)

• śikharam: peak/summit
• śikharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śrīmat: glorious
• śrīmat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘glorious/auspicious’

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (this)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश/अनुवाद (that)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (which)

• vilokanāt: from seeing (it)
• vilokanāt: Apadana (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-lokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘from/through the act of seeing’

• punar-bhavaḥ: rebirth
• punar-bhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव ‘पुनः भवः’ (rebirth)

• manuṣyāṇām: of men/humans
• manuṣyāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• bhavet: would be/might occur
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु—भू ‘to be’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• bhavet: would be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kvacit: ever/anywhere
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अनिश्चित (anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīśaila-śikhara

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The radiant summit of Śrīśaila dominates the frame; pilgrims gaze upward as if the very act of seeing dissolves the chain of births; the atmosphere is still, luminous, and final.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīśaila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-darśana is portrayed as a direct means to liberation, capable of severing the cycle of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīśaila, especially its sacred summit (śikhara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is darśana—reverently seeing the summit; no additional rite is specified.