Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्स्थाने स्वभक्तानां सांबः सर्षिगणो विभुः । स्वयं चोपदिशेद्ब्रह्म श्रुतौ श्रुतिभिरीडितम्

Transliteration

asminsthāne svabhaktānāṃ sāṃbaḥ sarṣigaṇo vibhuḥ | svayaṃ copadiśedbrahma śrutau śrutibhirīḍitam

Translation

ഈ സ്ഥലത്ത് സർവ്വശക്തനായ സാംബ ശിവൻ ഋഷിഗണങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ തന്റെ ഭക്തന്മാർക്ക് സ്വയം ബ്രഹ്മതത്ത്വം ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു—ശ്രുതിയിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധവും ശ്രുതികൾ പുകഴ്ത്തുന്നതുമായ സത്യം.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘स्थाने’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• स्वभक्तानाम्: of his own devotees
• स्वभक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—स्वाः भक्ताः (कर्मधारय)

• साम्बः: Sāmba (Śiva)
• साम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शिवस्य नाम

• सर्षिगणः: along with the group of sages
• सर्षिगणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—ऋषिगणः सह (सह-तत्पुरुष/सहितार्थक)

• विभुः: the all-pervading lord
• विभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—स्वयम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• उपदिशेत्: would teach/instruct
• उपदिशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (supreme reality)
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रुतौ: in the Śruti (Veda)
• श्रुतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• श्रुतिभिः: by the Śrutis
• श्रुतिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• ईडितम्: praised
• ईडितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ईड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकृत् (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्म’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrasthalī (teaching-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with Umā seated as teacher, surrounded by sages; devotees sit below; a subtle radiance signifies Brahman; palm-leaf manuscripts and śruti-symbols (Vedic fire, recitation posture) frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Sāṃba)
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Brahman
• Śruti (Vedas)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is not only a pilgrimage landscape but also a locus of direct divine instruction toward Brahman-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The specific ‘place’ within the Rudrasthalī/Kṛttivāsa context of Kāśī where Śiva teaches devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights śravaṇa/upadeśa (receiving instruction) as a spiritual benefit of the site.