Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

तस्याः शब्दग्रहौ नान्य शब्दग्रहणतत्परौ । अतीव निपुणौ जातौ तत्सन्माल्यकरौकरौ

Transliteration

tasyāḥ śabdagrahau nānya śabdagrahaṇatatparau | atīva nipuṇau jātau tatsanmālyakaraukarau

Translation

അവളുടെ ‘ശബ്ദഗ്രാഹക’ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ മറ്റൊരു ശബ്ദവും പിടിച്ചില്ല; അവ പവിത്ര നാദഗ്രഹണത്തിൽ മാത്രം തൽപരമായിരുന്നു. അവളുടെ കൈകളും അത്യന്തം നിപുണമായി—പ്രഭുവിന് ഉത്തമ മാലകൾ നെയ്യുന്ന കൈകൾ.

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• शब्द-ग्रहौ: the two receivers of sound (ears)
• शब्द-ग्रहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन (masc. nom. du.)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यौ: other (two), different
• अन्यौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. du.)

• शब्द-ग्रहण-तत्परौ: intent on grasping sound
• शब्द-ग्रहण-तत्परौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. du.)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/नियम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रतावाचक (indecl. intensifier)

• निपुणौ: skilled
• निपुणौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. du.)

• जातौ: became, were born (as)
• जातौ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) (masc. nom. du.)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. gen. sg.)

• सत्-माल्य-करौ: the two hands making garlands for the good (or for the Lord)
• सत्-माल्य-करौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन (masc. nom. du.)

• करौ: two hands
• करौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन (masc. nom. du.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (liṅga-sevā context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sādhvī’s ears are symbolically attentive to mantra alone; her hands deftly weave fragrant garlands—jasmine, marigold, bilva—laid before the liṅga in a Kāśī shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga/Śiva (recipient of garlands, implied)
• Sacred sound (Oṃkāra implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion disciplines the senses (hearing) and sanctifies action (hands), turning daily capacities into worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the contextual tirtha; the service described aligns with Oṃkāra-liṅga devotion in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering garlands (mālya-sevā/arpana) and focused reception of sacred sound (implied Oṃkāra-japa/śravaṇa).