Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41
कस्त्वामिह स्तोतुमनंतशक्ते शक्नोति मादृग्लघुबुद्धिवैभवः । प्राचां न वाचामिहगोचरो यः स्तुतिस्त्वयीयं नतिरेव यावत्
kastvāmiha stotumanaṃtaśakte śaknoti mādṛglaghubuddhivaibhavaḥ | prācāṃ na vācāmihagocaro yaḥ stutistvayīyaṃ natireva yāvat
ହେ ଅନନ୍ତଶକ୍ତି! ଏଠାରେ ତୁମକୁ ସତ୍ୟରେ ସ୍ତୁତି କିଏ କରିପାରିବ? ମୋ ପରି ଅଲ୍ପବୁଦ୍ଧିର ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ କେଉଁଠି! ତୁମେ ପ୍ରାଚୀନ ଋଷିମାନଙ୍କ ବାଣୀର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଗୋଚର; ତେଣୁ ମୋର ଏହି ‘ସ୍ତୁତି’ କେବଳ ଭକ୍ତିମୟ ନତି-ପ୍ରଣାମମାତ୍ର।
Unnamed devotee/praiser
Tirtha: Avimukta-Kṣetra (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A devotee in Kāśī stands before Śiva with folded hands, eyes lowered; the city’s ghāṭas and a liṅga-shrine glow softly, emphasizing the inadequacy of words and the sufficiency of bowing.
FAQs
True devotion is marked by humility: recognizing that the Infinite cannot be contained by speech, one offers reverent surrender instead.
The Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame implies Kāśī’s sacred milieu, but the verse itself is a universal statement about Śiva’s transcendence.
No formal rite; it emphasizes namra-bhāva (humble disposition) and namaskāra (reverent bowing).