Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । देवदेव जगन्नाथ शर्व सर्वद सर्वग । सर्वदृक्सर्वजनक किंचित्पृच्छामि तद्वद

Transliteration

devyuvāca | devadeva jagannātha śarva sarvada sarvaga | sarvadṛksarvajanaka kiṃcitpṛcchāmi tadvada

Translation

ദേവി പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദേവദേവാ, ജഗന്നാഥാ! ഹേ ശർവാ, സർവദാ, സർവഗാ; സർവദർശീ, സർവജനകാ! ഞാൻ ഒരു കാര്യം ചോദിക്കുന്നു; അത് അരുളിച്ചെയ്യൂ।

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — perfect, 3rd singular

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular; (देव+देव = षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ 'देवानां देवः')

• देव: O god (of gods)
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• नाथ: O Lord of the world
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular; जगत्+नाथ = षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• शर्व: O Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-viseshana (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• सर्वग: O all-pervading one
• सर्वग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular

• सर्वदृक्: O all-seeing one
• सर्वदृक्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (all-seeing)

• सर्वजनक: O begetter of all
• सर्वजनक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (generator of all)

• किञ्चित्: something
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; अल्पपरिमाणवाचक (something/a little)

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन — present indicative, 1st singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — imperative, 2nd singular

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī/Jagadambikā)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/sages; within the embedded dialogue Devī speaks to Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, poised and radiant, offers a formal stuti to Śiva and then leans forward to ask a question; Śiva listens calmly, embodying omniscience and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śiva (Devadeva/Śarva)
• Jagannātha (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry—framed by praise—opens the revelation of a kṣetra’s greatness and its dharmic significance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a dialogic preface; the ensuing discussion pertains to Kāśī’s Triviṣṭapa/Trilocana sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an invocation and question initiating the teaching.