Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

प्रणव उवाच । न ह्येष भगवाञ्छक्त्या स्वात्मनो व्यतिरिक्तया । कदाचिद्रमते रुद्रो लीलारूपधरो हरः

Transliteration

praṇava uvāca | na hyeṣa bhagavāñchaktyā svātmano vyatiriktayā | kadācidramate rudro līlārūpadharo haraḥ

Translation

ప్రణవుడు పలికెను—ఈ భగవంతుడు తన స్వాత్మస్వరూపానికి భిన్నమైన శక్తితో ఎప్పుడూ రమించడు. రుద్రుడు—హరుడు—లీలార్థమే రూపాలు ధరిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• प्रणवः: Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) (उवाच—लिट्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शक्त्या: by/with (his) power
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्व-आत्मनः: of his own self
• स्व-आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘स्वः आत्मा’

• व्यतिरिक्तया: separate/different (from it)
• व्यतिरिक्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ati-√ric (धातु) (व्यतिरिक्त—कृदन्त क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; शक्त्या इति विशेषणम्

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• रमते: delights/plays
• रमते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लीला-रूप-धरः: bearing a playful form
• लीला-रूप-धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लीलायाः रूपं धरति)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Praṇava (Oṃ), personified teacher

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the two questioners

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Praṇava speaks as a teacher: Śiva (Rudra/Hara) is shown serene, with multiple emblematic forms faintly suggested as playful manifestations arising from one luminous essence.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Rudra
• Hara
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s power is not external to Him; divine manifestation is līlā, expressing non-duality of Lord and His Śakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Doctrinal teaching situated in Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī’s Śaiva revelation space); no specific tirtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is metaphysical instruction about the nature of Śiva and Śakti.