Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अनेकविद्यानिलयः कलाकौशलभाजनम् । कौमारं वय आसाद्य शिवभक्तिपरोभवत्

Transliteration

anekavidyānilayaḥ kalākauśalabhājanam | kaumāraṃ vaya āsādya śivabhaktiparobhavat

Translation

അവൻ അനേകം വിദ്യകളുടെ നിധിയും കലാകൗശലത്തിന്റെ പാത്രവും ആയിരുന്നു; യൗവനം പ്രാപിച്ചപ്പോൾ ശിവഭക്തിയിൽ പരമപരനായിത്തീർന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनेकविद्यानिलयः: a repository of many sciences
• अनेकविद्यानिलयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अनेकानां विद्यानां निलयः) (nominative singular)

• कलाकौशलभाजनम्: a vessel of artistic skill
• कलाकौशलभाजनम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक) + कौशल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलाकौशलस्य भाजनम्) (nominative singular; predicate/apposition)

• कौमारम्: youthful; of boyhood
• कौमारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (accusative singular)

• वयः: age; stage of life
• वयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आसाद्य: having reached; attaining
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) → आसाद्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having reached)

• शिवभक्तिपरः: devoted to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिपरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवे भक्तिः यस्य/शिवभक्तौ परः) (nominative singular)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parimalālaya as a radiant youth surrounded by manuscripts, instruments, and artistic tools, then turning toward a Śiva-liṅga in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and artistry are elevated when oriented toward devotion—here, single-pointed Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse focuses on the devotee’s formation; the broader adhyāya frames this within Kāśī’s Śaiva mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; it establishes a devotional disposition as the foundation for later vows and worship.