Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उवाच विस्मयाविष्टो मनस्येव महेशिता । ईदृशेभ्यस्तपस्विभ्यो नमोस्त्विति पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

uvāca vismayāviṣṭo manasyeva maheśitā | īdṛśebhyastapasvibhyo namostviti punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

అతడు ఆశ్చర్యంతో నిండిపోయి, మనసులో మహేశ్వరుని ఐశ్వర్యాన్ని తలచుకుంటూ పలికెను—“ఇలాంటి తపస్వులకు మళ్లీ మళ్లీ నమస్కారం.”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• विस्मयाविष्टः: overcome with wonder
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘आविष्ट’ = ‘entered/possessed’

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• महेशिता: the great lord (Maheśa)
• महेशिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘महेशितृ’ = ‘great lord/overlord’

• ईदृशेभ्यः: from such (persons)
• ईदृशेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• तपस्विभ्यः: from ascetics
• तपस्विभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), बहुवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (used as interjection ‘salutation’)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुनः: again (repeatedly)
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

Speaker

Durvāsā (in narrative, recovering composure)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure, astonished and humbled, offers repeated namaskāra to radiant ascetics seated in a forest-hermitage ambience, with an implied Śiva-aiśvarya felt inwardly.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Maheśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wonder and humility restore dharma after anger; recognition of Śiva’s sovereignty leads to reverence for true asceticism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting remains implicit; the verse supports the Prahāsiteśvara episode within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None formal; repeated namaskāra (salutation) is expressed as a devotional response.