Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एक एव हि विश्वेशो मुक्तिदो नान्य एव हि । इति ब्रुवाणान्सततं परिनिश्चितमानसान्

Transliteration

eka eva hi viśveśo muktido nānya eva hi | iti bruvāṇānsatataṃ pariniścitamānasān

Translation

“വിശ്വേശൻ മാത്രമേ മുക്തിദാതാവുള്ളൂ—മറ്റാരുമില്ല.” എന്ന് അവർ നിരന്തരം പറഞ്ഞു; അവരുടെ മനസ്സുകൾ ദൃഢനിശ്ചയത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एकः: one (alone)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — अवधारणार्थक

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• विश्वेशः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘विश्वस्य ईशः’

• मुक्तिदः: giver of liberation
• मुक्तिदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘मुक्तिं ददाति’ इति—दा धातोः (क)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘अन्य’ = भिन्नः

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — अवधारणार्थक

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• ब्रुवाणान्: speaking/saying
• ब्रुवाणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘कथयन्तः’

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• परिनिश्चितमानसान्: whose minds were firmly resolved
• परिनिश्चितमानसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग) + निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘निश्चितं मानसं येषाम्’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः, परन्तु रूपतः तत्पुरुष-समासपदम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Skanda speaking within Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees in a semicircle before Viśveśvara’s shrine, hands folded, repeating a single refrain about liberation; their faces show calm certainty, with temple lamps illuminating vibhūti-marked foreheads.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa
• Mukti (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed faith (niścaya) in the Lord of Kāśī as the grantor of mokṣa is upheld as a decisive spiritual orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa is the signature deity of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), pointing to the Kāśī sacred landscape even though the immediate scene is elsewhere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it emphasizes doctrinal affirmation and steadfast devotion.