Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

इमां विद्यां न जानाति देवाचार्योति दुप्कराम् । ऋते मृत्युंजयात्स्कंदात्पार्वत्या गजवक्त्रतः

Transliteration

imāṃ vidyāṃ na jānāti devācāryoti dupkarām | ṛte mṛtyuṃjayātskaṃdātpārvatyā gajavaktrataḥ

Translation

此一极难之明咒（vidyā），连诸天之师也不知晓——唯有胜死者弥利提优姆阇耶（Mṛtyuṃjaya，即湿婆）、斯甘达（Skanda）、帕尔瓦蒂（Pārvatī）与象面者（伽内沙 Gaṇeśa）知之。

Word by Word

• imām: this
• imām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), विशेषणम् (qualifying vidyām)

• vidyām: knowledge
• vidyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• devācāryaḥ: the teacher of the gods (Bṛhaspati)
• devācāryaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: devānām ācāryaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• iti: thus/so-called
• iti: Vakyaparisamapti (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• duṣkarām: difficult (to obtain/do)
• duṣkarām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), विशेषणम् (qualifying vidyām)

• ṛte: except (for)
• ṛte: Apavada (Exception/अपवाद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/वर्जनार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like: 'except/without')

• mṛtyuṃjayāt: from Mṛtyuṃjaya (Śiva)
• mṛtyuṃjayāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyuṃjaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: mṛtyuṃ jayati iti); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• skandāt: from Skanda
• skandāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• pārvatyāḥ: from Pārvatī
• pārvatyāḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• gajavaktrataḥ: from the elephant-faced one (Gaṇeśa)
• gajavaktrataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः बहुव्रीहि (gaja-vaktraḥ yasya saḥ = Gaṇeśa); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial: -taḥ), पञ्चमी-अर्थे (in sense of ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative moment: the narrators proclaim that even the gods’ preceptor lacks this vidyā; only Śiva as Mṛtyuñjaya, Skanda, Pārvatī, and Gaṇeśa know it—forming a sacred circle of guardians around the mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati (Devācārya)
• Mṛtyuṃjaya (Śiva)
• Skanda
• Pārvatī
• Gaṇeśa (Gajavaktra)
• Mṛtyu-saṃjīvinī Vidyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some spiritual powers are portrayed as supremely guarded, belonging to the innermost circle of the Śaiva divine family.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse emphasizes the exclusivity and sanctity of the vidyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it underscores rarity, implying the need for proper initiation and divine favor.