Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

इच्छाशक्तिः क्रियाशक्तिर्ज्ञानशक्तिस्तथोत्तमा । शक्तित्रयमिदं विष्णो गृहाण प्रापितं मया

Transliteration

icchāśaktiḥ kriyāśaktirjñānaśaktistathottamā | śaktitrayamidaṃ viṣṇo gṛhāṇa prāpitaṃ mayā

Translation

พลังแห่งเจตจำนง พลังแห่งการกระทำ และพลังแห่งญาณอันสูงสุด—สามพลังนี้ ข้าแต่วิษณุ ข้าพเจ้าขอน้อมถวายแล้ว โปรดทรงรับไว้เถิด

Word by Word

• इच्छाशक्तिः: the power of will
• इच्छाशक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इच्छायाः शक्तिः)

• क्रियाशक्तिः: the power of action
• क्रियाशक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रियायाः शक्तिः)

• ज्ञानशक्तिः: the power of knowledge
• ज्ञानशक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानस्य शक्तिः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपपद (adverb: 'thus/also')

• उत्तमा: supreme
• उत्तमा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (superlative: 'best/supreme')

• शक्तित्रयम्: this triad of powers
• शक्तित्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः शक्तयः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; शक्तित्रयम् इति विशेषणम्

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गृहाण: accept / take
• गृहाण: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रापितम्: brought / delivered
• प्रापितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्रापित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śiva (Hara)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (Hara)
• Śakti (as powers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All capacities—will, action, and knowledge—are ultimately divine powers that can be consciously offered back to God in devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, oriented to the greatness of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though this verse itself focuses on divine power-transfer.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it presents a devotional offering (arpaṇa) of one’s powers to Viṣṇu.