Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अथाभिषिक्तश्चतुराननेन महर्षिवृंदैः सह देवदेवः । शुभासनस्थः सहितो भवान्या कुमारवृंदैः परितो वृतश्च

Transliteration

athābhiṣiktaścaturānanena maharṣivṛṃdaiḥ saha devadevaḥ | śubhāsanasthaḥ sahito bhavānyā kumāravṛṃdaiḥ parito vṛtaśca

Translation

پھر چہار رُخے برہما نے مہارشیوں کے گروہ کے ساتھ مل کر دیوتاؤں کے دیوتا کا باقاعدہ ابھیشیک کیا۔ وہ مبارک تخت پر جلوہ فرما، بھوانی کے ہمراہ، ہر طرف سے نوجوان دیوی خدمت گاروں کے جتھوں میں گھِرے ہوئے تھے۔

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then)

• अभिषिक्तः: anointed
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + सिच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः (PPP; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘having been anointed’)

• चतुराननेन: by the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुराननेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; चतुरानन = चत्वारि आननानि यस्य (Brahmā); Instrumental, Singular

• महर्षि-वृन्दैः: with groups of great sages
• महर्षि-वृन्दैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (वृन्द-शब्दः), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; महर्षिवृन्द = महर्षीणां वृन्दम् (Instrumental, Plural)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (with)

• देव-देवः: the God of gods
• देव-देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; देवानां देवः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• शुभ-आसन-स्थः: seated on an auspicious seat
• शुभ-आसन-स्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; शुभासनस्थ = शुभे आसने स्थितः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; seated on an auspicious seat)

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (अव्यय) + इत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (PPP) ‘सह + इ’ (सहित = accompanied), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• भवान्या: by/with Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• भवान्या: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• कुमार-वृन्दैः: with groups of youths/sons
• कुमार-वृन्दैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कुमारवृन्द = कुमाराणां वृन्दम् (Instrumental, Plural)

• परितः: around
• परितः: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (around)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; surrounded)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muktimaṇḍapa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (four-faced) with great sages performs ceremonial abhiṣeka to Śiva; Śiva sits on an auspicious throne with Bhavānī beside him, while youthful divine attendants encircle them like a living aureole.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• Maharṣis
• Kāśī
• Muktimaṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods and sages honor Śiva through consecration—modeling reverence, humility, and the supremacy of divine worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Muktimaṇḍapa setting, presented as the stage for Śiva’s royal, liberation-bestowing presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka (ceremonial anointing/consecration) is explicitly referenced as part of the worship offered to Śiva.