Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एकः पाशुपत श्रेष्ठो वाल्मीकिरिति संज्ञितः । तपश्चचार स मुनिः कपर्दीशं समर्चयन्

Transliteration

ekaḥ pāśupata śreṣṭho vālmīkiriti saṃjñitaḥ | tapaścacāra sa muniḥ kapardīśaṃ samarcayan

Translation

പാശുപതന്മാരിൽ ഒരുത്തൻ ശ്രേഷ്ഠഭക്തനായിരുന്നു; ‘വാൽമീകി’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ. ആ മുനി തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് ഭക്തിയോടെ കപർദീശൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ സമർചിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पाशुपतः: a Pāśupata devotee
• पाशुपतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent; foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• वाल्मीकिः: Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/निरूपणार्थक (quotative particle)

• संज्ञितः: named; called
• संज्ञितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + ज्ञा (धातु) → संज्ञित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (named/called)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चकार: performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कपर्दीशम्: Lord Kapardī (Śiva)
• कपर्दीशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कपर्दिनः ईशः)

• समर्चयन्: worshipping
• समर्चयन्: Kriya-vishesana (Concurrent action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चयत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present Active Participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while worshipping)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapardīśa (Śiva-liṅga) in Kāśī (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhayoni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vālmīki, portrayed as a great Pāśupata devotee, performs austerities while worshipping Kapardīśa—an iconic Śiva-liṅga with matted-hair symbolism—within a Kāśī sacred precinct or forest-āśrama near the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Vālmīki
• Paśupati
• Kapardīśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness is measured by devotion and disciplined tapas offered to Śiva, the Lord of all beings (Paśupati).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting implies Kāśī’s sacred sphere, but this verse primarily introduces the devotee and his worship rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and proper arcana (worship) of Śiva (Kapardīśa).