Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । वस्तुशक्तिविचारोयमद्भुतः कोपि कुंभज । द्रवरूपेण काप्येषा शक्तिः सादाशिवी परा

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | vastuśaktivicāroyamadbhutaḥ kopi kuṃbhaja | dravarūpeṇa kāpyeṣā śaktiḥ sādāśivī parā

Translation

พระสกันทะกล่าวว่า: โอ้กุมภชะ การพิจารณาถึงศักติที่สถิตอยู่ในสภาวะจริงนี้น่าอัศจรรย์ยิ่ง ในรูปแห่งของเหลว นี่แลคือศักติสูงสุดของพระสทาศิวะ

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• वस्तु-शक्ति-विचारः: the inquiry into the power of a thing
• वस्तु-शक्ति-विचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: वस्तुनः शक्तेः विचारः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Apposition/सामानाधिकरण्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अद्भुतः: wonderful
• अद्भुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying) विचारः

• कः: some/which?
• कः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चित/प्रश्नार्थ (indefinite/interrogative)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; ‘also/even/some’)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• द्रव-रूपेण: in liquid form / by (its) liquid form
• द्रव-रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: द्रवस्य रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• का: some (feminine)
• का: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चित (some)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा-शिवी: ever-auspicious (Sādāśivī)
• सदा-शिवी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ई (प्रातिपदिक-स्त्री)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय: सदा शिवा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शक्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शक्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as Sadāśiva-śakti in drava-rūpa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, radiant and youthful, speaks to Kumbhaja (Agastya): behind them flows the luminous Gaṅgā; subtle cosmic energy is shown as a shimmering aura within the water, suggesting Sadāśiva’s parā-śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Sadāśiva
• Gaṅgā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā is not merely water; she is presented as a manifestation of Śiva’s supreme power (parā-śakti), making her spiritually transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī—interpreted as a theophany of Sadāśiva’s śakti within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse provides theological grounding for why Gaṅgā-related rites are effective.