Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

नानावर्णस्वरूपाय वर्णानां पतये नमः । नमस्ते स्वररूपाय नमो व्यंजनरूपिणे

Transliteration

nānāvarṇasvarūpāya varṇānāṃ pataye namaḥ | namaste svararūpāya namo vyaṃjanarūpiṇe

Translation

നാനാവർണ്ണസ്വരൂപനേ, സർവ്വ വർണ്ണങ്ങളുടെ അധിപതിയേ—നമസ്കാരം. സ്വരരൂപനേ നമസ്കാരം; വ്യഞ്ജനരൂപനേ നമസ്കാരം।

Word by Word

• नानावर्णस्वरूपाय: to (him) whose form is of many letters
• नानावर्णस्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + वर्ण + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे (स्वरूप-शब्दः), चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्; समासान्त-पदम्

• वर्णानाम्: of letters
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्

• पतये: to the lord
• पतये: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• स्वररूपाय: to (him) whose form is sound/vowel
• स्वररूपाय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• व्यञ्जनरूपिणे: to the one having the form of consonants
• व्यञ्जनरूपिणे: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यञ्जन + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; रूपिन्-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Brahmā (in praise of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (mantra-kshetra emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic interlocutors within Kāśī-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic vision where vowels and consonants appear as radiant garlands or glyphs emanating from Śiva, while the devotee offers salutations to each sound-form.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva
• Varṇa (letters)
• Svara (vowels)
• Vyañjana (consonants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (śabda) is divine: all speech and mantra ultimately rest in Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Ānandavana as the seat where mantra, sound, and Śiva’s presence are especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse supports mantra-japa and stotra as valid approaches to Śiva.