Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विराध सुमुखाषाढे भवंतो मम सूनवः । यथेमौ स्कंदहेरंबौ नैगमेयो यथा त्वयम्

Transliteration

virādha sumukhāṣāḍhe bhavaṃto mama sūnavaḥ | yathemau skaṃdaheraṃbau naigameyo yathā tvayam

Translation

விராதா, சுமுகா, ஆஷாடா! நீங்கள் என் புதல்வர்கள்; இவ்விருவர் ஸ்கந்தன்-ஹேரம்பன் போலவும், நீ நைகமேயன் போலவும் (ஆகிறீர்கள்).

Word by Word

• विराध: O Virādha
• विराध: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• सुमुखाषाढे: O Sumukha and Āṣāḍha
• सुमुखाषाढे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमुख + आषाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन; सुमुखश्च आषाढश्च इति द्वन्द्वः

• भवन्तः: you (honorific, plural)
• भवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक-प्रयोगः (you, sirs)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सूनवः: sons
• सूनवः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-वाचक (comparative particle)

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• स्कन्दहेरम्बौ: Skanda and Heramba
• स्कन्दहेरम्बौ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + हेरम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; स्कन्दश्च हेरम्बश्च इति द्वन्द्वः

• नैगमेयः: Naigameya (name)
• नैगमेयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैगमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-वाचक

• त्वयम्: you (plural)
• त्वयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वैदिक/प्राचीन-रूपम्; सामान्यतः यूयम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paternal figure (Śiva or a senior gaṇa-leader) addressing Virādha, Sumukha, and Āṣāḍha as ‘my sons,’ gesturing toward Skanda and Heramba nearby; Naigameya stands as a youthful attendant.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Virādha
• Sumukha
• Āṣāḍha
• Skanda
• Heramba
• Naigameya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine service is intimate and familial in Śiva’s realm; devotion and duty bind Śiva and his attendants like kin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī, since this commissioning of Śiva’s ‘sons’ occurs for Kāśī’s unfolding sacred events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is relational and narrative, establishing authority and closeness among Śiva and his retinue.