Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

महेश्वर उवाच । निशामय महादेवि वीरेशाविर्भवं परम् । यं श्रुत्वापि नरः पुण्यं प्राप्नोति विपुलं शिवे

Transliteration

maheśvara uvāca | niśāmaya mahādevi vīreśāvirbhavaṃ param | yaṃ śrutvāpi naraḥ puṇyaṃ prāpnoti vipulaṃ śive

Translation

摩诃伊湿伐罗（Maheśvara）说道：“聆听吧，噢，摩诃提毗（Mahādevī），维雷沙显现的至上缘起；仅仅听闻此事，人便能获得广大福德，噢，湿婆女神（Śivā）。”

Word by Word

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + ईश्वर (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• निशामय: listen, pay attention
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम्/शम (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महा + देवी (कर्मधारय)

• वीरेशाविर्भवम्: the manifestation of Vīreśa
• वीरेशाविर्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरेश-आविर्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—वीरेशस्य + आविर्भावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying आविर्भवम्)

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुण्यम्)

• शिवे: O Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा/शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vīreśa (āvirbhāva-kathā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins the narration, raising a hand in teaching gesture; Pārvatī listens attentively. The atmosphere suggests a sacred discourse where words themselves radiate puṇya.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī/Pārvatī
• Vīreśa/Vīreśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing the origin-glory of a Kāśī-liṅga is itself meritorious and spiritually transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vīreśvara in Kāśī, introduced through its āvirbhāva-kathā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) to the Vīreśvara manifestation narrative is praised as a giver of great puṇya.