Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अंबिकोवाच । अस्य पीठस्य माहात्म्यं महादेव महेश्वर । तिरश्चामपि यज्जातं ज्ञानं संसारमोचनम्

Transliteration

aṃbikovāca | asya pīṭhasya māhātmyaṃ mahādeva maheśvara | tiraścāmapi yajjātaṃ jñānaṃ saṃsāramocanam

Translation

อัมพิกากล่าวว่า: ข้าแต่มหาเทวะ ข้าแต่มเหศวร โปรดตรัสบอกมหิมาแห่งปีฐะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ ด้วยอานุภาพของมัน แม้ในหมู่สัตว์เดรัจฉานก็ยังบังเกิดญาณที่ปลดเปลื้องจากสังสารวัฏ

Word by Word

• अम्बिका: Ambikā (Pārvatī)
• अम्बिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पीठस्य: of the sacred seat/altar
• पीठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तिरश्चाम्: of animals (beings moving horizontally)
• तिरश्चाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिरश्च् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जातम्: arisen, born
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संसारमोचनम्: liberating from saṃsāra
• संसारमोचनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य मोचनम्)

Speaker

Ambikā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-pīṭha (near Dharmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame); within the verse: Ambikā addressing Mahādeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambikā, seated or standing in reverent inquiry before Mahādeva, gestures toward a sacred ‘pīṭha’ precinct; the atmosphere suggests a liminal spot where even animals are depicted listening, hinting at universal awakening.

Characters & Entities

• Ambikā (Pārvatī)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Pīṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly sanctified place (pīṭha) can awaken liberating knowledge (jñāna) beyond human boundaries, showing the universal reach of dharma and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular pīṭha in Kāśī (named and detailed in the surrounding passage), whose power is described as saṃsāra-mocana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces inquiry into the pīṭha’s māhātmya (glory) and its liberating effect.