Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । शृणु देवि परं गुह्यं क्षेत्रेऽस्मिन्मुक्तिकारणम् । इदं विदंति नैवापि ब्रह्मनारायणादयः

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | śṛṇu devi paraṃ guhyaṃ kṣetre'sminmuktikāraṇam | idaṃ vidaṃti naivāpi brahmanārāyaṇādayaḥ

Translation

天中之天说道：女神啊，请听这至上的秘奥——此圣域（kṣetra）中解脱之因。即使梵天、那罗延等，也未必真正知晓。

Word by Word

• देवदेवः: the God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc./Neut.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुक्तिकारणम्: the cause of liberation
• मुक्तिकारणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + कारण (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः कारणम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विदन्ति: know
• विदन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: even/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-निपात (particle: even/also)

• ब्रह्मनारायणादयः: Brahmā, Nārāyaṇa and others
• ब्रह्मनारायणादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + नारायण + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समाहार/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (ब्रह्म-नारायण-आदयः = Brahmā, Nārāyaṇa and others)

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Devadeva) raises a hand in teaching gesture, Devī listens; behind them a veiled luminous symbol suggests the ‘supreme secret’ of the kṣetra; Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa appear faintly in the background as respectful, not-knowing witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Devī
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Brahmā
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is rooted in a profound, divine mystery of the kṣetra; Śiva is the ultimate revealer of mokṣa-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra, described as possessing a unique, secret mukti-kāraṇa (cause of liberation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse introduces esoteric instruction about Kāśī’s liberating principle.