Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

तत्र पाशुपता ये वै प्रणवेशार्चने रताः । तांश्च शुश्रूषयेन्नित्यं पितृबुद्ध्याति भक्तितः

Transliteration

tatra pāśupatā ye vai praṇaveśārcane ratāḥ | tāṃśca śuśrūṣayennityaṃ pitṛbuddhyāti bhaktitaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ പ്രണവേശൻ (ഓംകാരസ്വരൂപനായ പ്രഭു)നെ ആരാധിക്കുന്ന പാശുപത ഭക്തരെ പിതൃബുദ്ധിയോടെ പിതാക്കളെപ്പോലെ കരുതി, അത്യന്തം ഭക്തിയോടെ നിത്യവും സേവിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय/adverb of place)

• पाशुपताः: Pāśupatas (followers of Paśupati)
• पाशुपताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (emphasis)

• प्रणवेश-अर्चने: in the worship of Praṇaveśa
• प्रणवेश-अर्चने: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणवेश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): प्रणवेशस्य अर्चने = ‘in the worship of Praṇaveśa’

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

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

• शुश्रूषयेत्: should serve, should attend upon
• शुश्रूषयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुश्रूष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभाव/adverbial accusative (नपुंसक, द्वितीया एकवचन used adverbially)

• पितृ-बुद्ध्या: with (the) fatherly attitude
• पितृ-बुद्ध्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): पितुः बुद्धिः = ‘with the notion of a father’

• अति: very, exceedingly
• अति: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Intensifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/particle (intensifier)

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणार्थे ‘from/through devotion’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Praṇaveśa (Oṃkāra-liṅga) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a Kāśī shrine-courtyard, Pāśupata devotees sit near a Praṇaveśa-liṅga; a householder/devotee offers water, flowers, and respectful attendance with a father-like reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Pāśupata
• Praṇaveśa (Oṃkāreśvara/Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion in Kāśī is perfected through humble service to Śiva’s devotees, honoring them as venerable elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, with emphasis on the Praṇaveśa/Oṃkāreśvara presence worshiped there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-śuśrūṣā—regular service and respectful attendance upon Pāśupata worshipers devoted to Praṇaveśa.