Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

बालोपि न भवत्येष यतोऽयं बहुवार्षिकः । अनादिवृद्धो लोकेषु गीयते चोग्र एष यत्

Transliteration

bālopi na bhavatyeṣa yato'yaṃ bahuvārṣikaḥ | anādivṛddho lokeṣu gīyate cogra eṣa yat

Translation

Hindi rin siya bata, sapagkat siya’y may maraming taon. Sa mga daigdig, inaawit siyang “sinauna mula sa walang pasimula,” at tinatawag ding “Ugra”—ang mabagsik.

Word by Word

• बालः: a child
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• भवति: is/becomes
• भवति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषः: this one
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ अव्ययम् (because/since)

• अयम्: this (he)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बहुवार्षिकः: many-years-old / aged
• बहुवार्षिकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-वर्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अनादिवृद्धः: old from beginningless time
• अनादिवृद्धः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गीयते: is sung/celebrated
• गीयते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उग्रः: fierce/terrible
• उग्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• एषः: this one
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्: since/for that reason
• यत्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयुक्तम् (indeclinable relative: 'since/that')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (with Bhairava/Mahākāla resonance)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as timeless Mahākāla: a vast, dark-blue figure with matted locks and crescent moon, surrounded by swirling time motifs; in the foreground, Kāśī’s cremation ghat fires glow, signifying transcendence over death.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is timeless—beyond childhood and age—yet manifests powerful (ugra) aspects to uphold cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting; the verse itself is theological rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated.