Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

संसारसर्पदष्टानां जंतूनां यत्र शंकरः । अपसव्येन हस्तेन ब्रूते ब्रह्मस्पृशञ्छ्रुतिम्

Transliteration

saṃsārasarpadaṣṭānāṃ jaṃtūnāṃ yatra śaṃkaraḥ | apasavyena hastena brūte brahmaspṛśañchrutim

Translation

Di sana, bagi makhluk yang digigit ular saṃsāra, Śaṅkara—dengan tangan yang berpaling ke kiri menyentuh Brahman—melafazkan śruti yang membebaskan.

Word by Word

• संसारसर्पदष्टानाम्: of those bitten by the serpent of worldly existence
• संसारसर्पदष्टानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + दष्ट (कृदन्त; दंश्/दश् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘संसाररूपेण सर्पेण दष्टाः’ (bitten by the serpent of saṃsāra)

• जन्तूनाम्: of creatures/beings
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपसव्येन: with the left (counter-clockwise)
• अपसव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘हस्तेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हस्तेन: with (his) hand
• हस्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ब्रूते: speaks/utters
• ब्रूते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ब्रह्मस्पृशन्: Brahman-touching (supreme)
• ब्रह्मस्पृशन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘श्रुतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषभावः—‘ब्रह्म स्पृशति’ (touching Brahman)

• श्रुतिम्: the sacred teaching/Vedic revelation
• श्रुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Adhyāya context after “Skanda uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadvāra–Maṇikarṇikā zone

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara stands or sits at the ghāṭa, compassionate and luminous, addressing beings ‘bitten by the serpent of saṃsāra’; his left-turned hand gestures in a distinctive apasavya manner as he utters the liberating śruti; the Gaṅgā flows beside funeral fires and pilgrims, symbolizing impermanence and release.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Saṃsāra
• Śruti
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as the place where Śiva directly grants liberating knowledge to souls afflicted by saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Maṇikarṇikā–Svargadvāra sacred zone where Śaṅkara is said to bestow liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the emphasis is on Śiva’s act of imparting śruti (liberating teaching/mantra).