Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अमृतेश्वर संस्पर्शान्मृता जीवंति तत्क्षणात् । अमृतत्वं भजंतेऽत्र जीवंतः स्पर्शमात्रतः

Transliteration

amṛteśvara saṃsparśānmṛtā jīvaṃti tatkṣaṇāt | amṛtatvaṃ bhajaṃte'tra jīvaṃtaḥ sparśamātrataḥ

Translation

അമൃതേശ്വരന്റെ സ്പർശം കൊണ്ടു മരിച്ചവരും ആ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ ജീവിക്കുന്നു; ജീവിക്കുന്നവരും ഇവിടെ സ്പർശമാത്രം കൊണ്ടു അമൃതത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अमृतेश्वर: (from) Amṛteśvara (name of Śiva/liṅga)
• अमृतेश्वर: Source (Apadana/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रातिपदिक; पञ्चमी-एकवचनार्थे (अमृतेश्वरात्) सह प्रयोगः; संबोधन/नामरूपेण

• संस्पर्शात्: from contact/touch
• संस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• मृताः: the dead (persons)
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः संज्ञारूपेण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जीवन्ति: live, come to life
• जीवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, at that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (Ablatival adverb)

• अमृतत्वम्: immortality
• अमृतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + त्व (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भजन्ते: attain, partake of
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• जीवन्तः: the living (ones)
• जीवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), शतृ-प्रत्यय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्पर्शमात्रतः: merely by touch alone
• स्पर्शमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पर्श + मात्र + तस् (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); तत्पुरुषः (स्पर्शस्य मात्रम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amṛteśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At an Amṛteśvara shrine, a devotee touches the liṅga; a pale, lifeless figure behind is shown rising with returning breath, while nectar-like light flows from the liṅga, transforming the scene into luminous serenity.

Characters & Entities

• Amṛteśvara
• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in Kāśī is portrayed as life-restoring and death-transcending—pointing to liberation beyond mortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Amṛteśvara shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sparśa—reverential contact/touch associated with Amṛteśvara, implying darśana and devotional approach.