Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

इत्याद्य पूर्वं यत्रास्ति प्रत्यहं शंकरालये । कथं तं त्वमुमाकातं न वेत्सि कठिनाशय

Transliteration

ityādya pūrvaṃ yatrāsti pratyahaṃ śaṃkarālaye | kathaṃ taṃ tvamumākātaṃ na vetsi kaṭhināśaya

Translation

ഇത്തരം കാര്യങ്ങളും അതിലധികവും ശങ്കരന്റെ ആലയത്തിൽ പ്രതിദിനം പണ്ടേ നിലനിൽക്കുന്നു; ഹേ കഠിനഹൃദയാ, ഉമാകാന്തനായ ആ प्रभുവിനെ നീ എങ്ങനെ അറിയുന്നില്ല?

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ādya: first/initial
• ādya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आद्यम्)

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• pūrvam: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pratyaham: every day
• pratyaham: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + ahan (अव्यय-समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; काल-अव्यय (every day)

• śaṃkara-ālaye: in Śaṅkara’s abode/temple
• śaṃkara-ālaye: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंकरस्य आलयः)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• tam: him/that one
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• umākāntam: Umā’s beloved (Śiva)
• umākāntam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umākānta (प्रातिपदिक: umā + kānta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उमायाः कान्तः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• vetsi: you know
• vetsi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kaṭhina-āśaya: O hard-hearted one
• kaṭhina-āśaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭhina (प्रातिपदिक) + āśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (कठिनः आशयः यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkara-ālaya / Viśveśvara in Kāśī

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker admonishes a doubter at the threshold of Śiva’s temple: behind them, daily worship is visible—lamps, incense, priests, devotees—while the admonished figure looks away, symbolizing hardness of heart.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Umākānta (Śiva)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual dullness is the real obstacle; one must soften the heart to recognize Śiva’s ever-present grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkara’s abode in Kāśī, where daily worship and divine abundance are portrayed as constant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; it urges awareness and devotion toward Umākānta amidst ongoing daily worship.