Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

किमात्मकोऽयमोंकारो महिमास्य च को हर । केनाराधि पुरा चैष ददावाराधितश्च किम्

Transliteration

kimātmako'yamoṃkāro mahimāsya ca ko hara | kenārādhi purā caiṣa dadāvārādhitaśca kim

Translation

ഹേ ഹരാ! ഈ ഓംകാരത്തിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ സ്വരൂപം എന്ത്, അതിന്റെ മഹിമ എന്ത്? പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഇതിനെ ആരാണ് ആരാധിച്ചത്, പ്രസന്നനായി ഇത് എന്ത് അനുഗ്രഹം നൽകി?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• आत्मकः: of what nature
• आत्मकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (यः कः आत्मकः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक

• ओंकारः: Oṃkāra
• ओंकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महिमा: greatness
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कः: what/which
• कः: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• हर: O Hara (Śiva)
• हर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• केन: by whom/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• आराधि: was worshipped
• आराधि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+राध् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/परस्मैपद-भेदः पाठानुसारः (here: passive-like sense 'was worshipped')

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आराधितः: being worshipped/when worshipped
• आराधितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+राध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (एषः विशेषण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāreśa (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Hara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks: what is Oṃkāra’s true nature, what is its greatness, who worshipped it in ancient times, and what boon it granted—setting up a mythic backstory and a metaphysical exposition.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śiva (Hara)
• Oṃkāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames Oṃkāra as a profound spiritual principle whose worship yields transformative results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is Kāśī and the Oṃkāreśa liṅga within its sacred circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (propitiatory worship) is referenced generally, without specifying a method in this verse.