Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

निशम्येति वचस्तुष्टः श्रीकंठोति विशुद्धधीः । हसन्प्रोवाच धातारं ब्रह्मन्सर्वमवैम्यहम्

Transliteration

niśamyeti vacastuṣṭaḥ śrīkaṃṭhoti viśuddhadhīḥ | hasanprovāca dhātāraṃ brahmansarvamavaimyaham

Translation

ആ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് വിശുദ്ധബുദ്ധിയുള്ള ശ്രീകണ്ഠൻ (ശിവൻ) സന്തുഷ്ടനായി; പുഞ്ചിരിച്ച് ധാതാവ് (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്)നോട്—“ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ, എല്ലാം ഞാൻ ഗ്രഹിച്ചു” എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; धातु: शम् (to hear) उपसर्ग: नि-; अर्थः ‘श्रुत्वा/आकर्ण्य’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: तुष् (to be pleased)

• श्रीकण्ठः: Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् कण्ठः यस्य) — शिवनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-निपात

• विशुद्धधीः: one of pure intellect
• विशुद्धधीः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्ध-धी (प्रातिपदिक; components: विशुद्ध + धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विशुद्धा धीः यस्य/या)

• हसन्: smiling/laughing
• हसन्: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: हस् (to laugh)

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: उच्/वच् (to speak) उपसर्ग: प्र-; रूपम्: प्रोवाच

• धातारम्: to Dhātṛ (Brahmā as creator)
• धातारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (O Brahmā)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवैमि: I understand/know
• अवैमि: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: इ (to go/know in sense ‘to understand’) उपसर्ग: अव-; अर्थः ‘जानामि/अवगच्छामि’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Śiva’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva), serene and smiling, addresses Dhātṛ (Brahmā) in a luminous assembly; the mood is conciliatory and authoritative.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• Dhātṛ (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s serene smile signifies grace: sincere confession and dharmic reasoning are met with divine understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue unfolds within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative world, reinforcing Kāśī as the stage for profound divine-human discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a transition into Śiva’s teaching/response.