Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

इति ब्रुवति देवेशेप्यंतरुच्छ्वसितं गणैः । समातृभिः समंताच्च विलोक्यास्यं परस्परम्

Transliteration

iti bruvati deveśepyaṃtarucchvasitaṃ gaṇaiḥ | samātṛbhiḥ samaṃtācca vilokyāsyaṃ parasparam

Translation

天神之主如是言时，众伽那深深叹息；诸母神环侍四周，他们彼此相望，四面互观其面。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ब्रुवति: (while) speaking
• ब्रुवति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, सप्तमी-एकवचन-कर्तरि वर्तमानकाले; 'ब्रुवति' = while (he) speaks (locative absolute sense)

• देवेशे: in/when the Lord of gods
• देवेशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'देवेशे' (when the Lord of gods...)

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

• अन्तर्: within
• अन्तर्: Sambandha/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/preverb-like); 'अन्तर्' = within/inside

• उच्छ्वसितम्: a sigh/breathing out
• उच्छ्वसितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्+श्वस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'उच्छ्वसितम्' = sighed/breathed out

• गणैः: by the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे

• स: together
• स: Sambandha/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; 'सह/सम्' अर्थे (together)

• मातृभिः: with the Mothers
• मातृभिः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; 'मातृ' = मातृदेव्यः (Mothers)

• समन्तात्: from all sides
• समन्तात्: Desha-adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = on all sides

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विलोक्य: having looked
• विलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि+लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having looked'

• आस्यम्: face/mouth
• आस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Sambandha/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (reciprocal adverb) = mutually/each other

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: descriptive verse following Śiva’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks; gaṇas exhale in unison, Mātṛkās encircle, everyone exchanging uneasy glances—an atmosphere of impending consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Deveśa)
• Gaṇas
• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine attendants respond with reverence and restraint when Śiva lays down dharmic principles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the implied sacred setting, with Śiva’s presence and governance forming the core of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, describing the gaṇas’ reaction.