Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

तदा कथमदास्यं त्वां तस्मै मायास्वरूपिणं । अहं शिवाख्यया तुष्टो न जाने शिवरूपिणम्

Transliteration

tadā kathamadāsyaṃ tvāṃ tasmai māyāsvarūpiṇaṃ | ahaṃ śivākhyayā tuṣṭo na jāne śivarūpiṇam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ നിന്നെ അവനു എങ്ങനെ നൽകുമായിരുന്നു, ഞാൻ അവനെ മായാരൂപമായി മാത്രം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ? ‘ശിവ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ മാത്രം തൃപ്തനായി, ശിവന്റെ സത്യസ്വരൂപം ഞാൻ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞില്ല.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• अदास्यम्: would I give
• अदास्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृङ्-लकार (Conditional), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मायास्वरूपिणम्: one whose form is māyā
• मायास्वरूपिणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायास्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वाम्); समासः माया + स्वरूपिन्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिवाख्यया: by the name ‘Śiva’
• शिवाख्यया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवाख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः शिव + आख्या (‘name of Śiva’); हेतु/साधन-भावे

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Predicate adjective/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √तुष् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी

• शिवरूपिणम्: one whose form is Śiva
• शिवरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिवरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तम्/त्वाम् implied object of जाने); समासः शिव + रूपिन्

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Satī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic scene: Dakṣa gestures as if pulling away a veil; behind, a faint, luminous outline of Śiva’s true form is suggested, contrasting with a shadowy ‘appearance’ that misled him; Satī stands as steady truth.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing the Divine is more than hearing a name—realization requires seeing beyond māyā to the true nature of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting, but the verse focuses on Śiva-tattva rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal reflection within the story.