Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

मायामयीं ततश्छायां सवर्णां निर्ममे स्वतः । प्रांजलिः प्रणता भूत्वा संज्ञां छाया तदाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

māyāmayīṃ tataśchāyāṃ savarṇāṃ nirmame svataḥ | prāṃjaliḥ praṇatā bhūtvā saṃjñāṃ chāyā tadābravīt

Translation

پھر اس نے خود ایک مایامئی ہم شکل “چھایا” بنائی، جو صورت میں بالکل ویسی ہی تھی۔ ہاتھ جوڑ کر، سر جھکا کر، چھایا نے تب سنجنا سے کہا۔

Word by Word

• māyā-mayīm: made of illusion
• māyā-mayīm: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मायया मयी)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon)

• chāyām: a shadow (figure)
• chāyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• savarṇām: of the same appearance
• savarṇām: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-varṇa (प्रातिपदिक; सह-उपसर्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (same in appearance/color)

• nirmame: created, fashioned
• nirmame: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir- (उपसर्ग) + √mā (धातु; माने/मिमीत)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• svataḥ: by herself
• svataḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतः-शब्दः (ablatival adverb: by oneself/from oneself)

• prāñjaliḥ: with folded hands
• prāñjaliḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāñjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (hands joined)

• praṇatā: bowed down
• praṇatā: Karta (Subject qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇata (कृदन्त; pra- + √nam (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (bowed)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• saṃjñām: to Saṃjñā
• saṃjñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• chāyā: Chāyā (Shadow)
• chāyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Saṃjñā, unable to bear the solar blaze, conjures a perfect look-alike Chāyā formed from māyā; Chāyā stands with folded hands, head bowed, speaking respectfully to Saṃjñā in a quiet, charged moment of mystery.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃjñā
• Chāyā
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The episode highlights māyā and appearance: substitutes can imitate form, but dharma ultimately demands truth and right disclosure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual milieu, but no specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.