Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

उवाच च मनस्येव हरः स्मित्वा पुनःपुनः । महामोहनविद्यासि काशि त्वां पर्यवैम्यहम्

Transliteration

uvāca ca manasyeva haraḥ smitvā punaḥpunaḥ | mahāmohanavidyāsi kāśi tvāṃ paryavaimyaham

Translation

హరుడు (శివుడు) మళ్లీ మళ్లీ చిరునవ్వుతో, మనసులోనే అన్నట్లు పలికెను—హే కాశీ! నీవు మహామోహన విద్యవు; నిన్ను నేను సంపూర్ణంగా అవగాహన చేసుకొన్నాను।

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-सूचक (comparative particle)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्मित्वा: having smiled
• स्मित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मि (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• महामोहनविद्या: (you are) the great deluding power/knowledge
• महामोहनविद्या: Pratipadyam (Predicate nominative/प्रातिपद्यम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मोहन + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• काशि: O Kāśī
• काशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• पर्यवैमि: I encompass/surround (i.e., I pervade/know fully)
• पर्यवैमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अव + इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Śiva (Hara), reported by Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya and sages (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva smiles repeatedly, speaking inwardly: Kāśī is the great enchantment-vidyā; He alone fully comprehends her—Kāśī shown as a radiant feminine personification hovering over the cityscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a uniquely potent, paradoxical sacred power—beyond ordinary understanding—known fully to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) itself as the supreme sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is theological, characterizing Kāśī’s spiritual potency.