Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अन्यदेवधिया राजन्विश्वेशं पश्य मा क्वचित् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्विंद्र चंद्रार्का क्रीडेयं तस्य धूर्जटेः

Transliteration

anyadevadhiyā rājanviśveśaṃ paśya mā kvacit | brahmaviṣṇviṃdra caṃdrārkā krīḍeyaṃ tasya dhūrjaṭeḥ

Translation

ഹേ രാജാ! വിശ്വേശ്വരനെ ‘മറ്റൊരു ദേവൻ’ എന്ന ബുദ്ധിയോടെ ഒരിക്കലും കാണരുത്. ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ഇന്ദ്രൻ, ചന്ദ്രൻ, സൂര്യൻ—അവർ ആ ധൂർജടി പ്രഭുവിന്റെ കളിപ്പാട്ടങ്ങൾ മാത്രം।

Word by Word

• अन्यदेवधिया: by (the) thought of another deity
• अन्यदेवधिया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + देव + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्यदेवस्य धिया) (feminine instrumental singular; 'with the notion of another god')

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन (masculine vocative singular)

• विश्वेशम्: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशम्) (masculine accusative singular)

• पश्य: see; behold
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd person singular)

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• क्वचित्: ever; anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'ever/anywhere')

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (neuter nominative singular; name)

• विष्णु: Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular; name)

• इन्द्र: Indra
• इन्द्र: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular; name)

• चन्द्र: Moon
• चन्द्र: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular; name)

• अर्काः: Sun
• अर्काः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural; here: Sun(s), i.e., the Sun)

• क्रीडा: play; sport
• क्रीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (feminine nominative singular pronoun)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• धूर्जटेः: of Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• धूर्जटेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्जटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (masculine genitive singular; epithet of Śiva)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic cosmic visualization: Viśveśvara as Dhūrjaṭi with matted locks, towering in divine radiance; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, Candra, and Sūrya appear as small attendant figures or ‘playthings’ orbiting his presence, while a king is warned by a brāhmaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra
• Candra
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Viśveśvara is proclaimed supreme; seeing him as merely one deity among many is a spiritual misunderstanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī through its lord Viśveśvara, the supreme Śiva of the city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A doctrinal injunction: exclusive reverence and right understanding of Viśveśvara’s supremacy.