Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । कथयामि कथामेतां नमस्कृत्य महेश्वरम् । सर्वाघौघ प्रशमनीं सर्वश्रेयोविधायिनीम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | kathayāmi kathāmetāṃ namaskṛtya maheśvaram | sarvāghaugha praśamanīṃ sarvaśreyovidhāyinīm

Translation

स्कंद म्हणाले—महेश्वराला नमस्कार करून मी ही कथा सांगतो; ही सर्व पापसमूह शांत करणारी आणि सर्व कल्याण घडविणारी आहे.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथयामि: I narrate; I will tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कथा-विशेषण

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): having saluted

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Great Lord, Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• सर्व-अघ-ओघ-प्रशमनीम्: that which pacifies the flood of all sins
• सर्व-अघ-ओघ-प्रशमनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशमनी (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कथा-विशेषण; (सर्वेषाम् अघानाम् ओघस्य प्रशमनी)

• सर्व-श्रेयः-विधायिनीम्: bestowing all welfare/auspiciousness
• सर्व-श्रेयः-विधायिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विधायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; वि + √धा धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कथा-विशेषण; (सर्वं श्रेयः विधत्ते इति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda stands reverently with folded hands before a radiant Maheśvara/Viśveśvara liṅga in Kāśī, then turns to narrate to assembled sages; a stream of dark ‘sins’ dissolves into light.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional narration begun with reverence to Śiva becomes a means to pacify sin and generate auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse frames a Kāśī Khaṇḍa narration; the sacred geography implied is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though no single tīrtha is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional act is implied: begin sacred narration by bowing to Maheśvara (namaskāra) and hearing/reciting purifying kathā.