Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यत्र धर्मे महेशो न प्रथमं परिपूज्यते । नैरृतं संगृहीत्वान्यः केशेष्वातो्ल्यचासकृत्

Transliteration

yatra dharme maheśo na prathamaṃ paripūjyate | nairṛtaṃ saṃgṛhītvānyaḥ keśeṣvāto्lyacāsakṛt

Translation

“凡以达摩之名而不先礼敬大自在天摩醯湿伐罗(Maheśa)之处，便无真实的达摩！”说罢，又一人擒住尼利利多(Nairṛta)，揪着头发反复拖拽并击打。

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• धर्मे: in dharma / in the matter of dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महेशः: Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधक अव्यय (negation particle)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; क्रमवाचक (adverbial accusative: first)

• परिपूज्यते: is worshipped
• परिपूज्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive); उपसर्गः परि-

• नैरृतम्: the Nairṛta (demon/being of Nirṛti)
• नैरृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘निरृति-सम्बन्धी’ इति (a being of Nirṛti / a rākṣasa)

• संगृहीत्वा: having seized
• संगृहीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); उपसर्गः सम्-

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• केशेषु: by the hair / in the hair
• केशेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• आतोल्य: having lifted/dragged (by)
• आतोल्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तुल् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); उपसर्गः आ-; अर्थः ‘उत्क्षिप्य/उन्नम्य’ (having lifted/dragged up)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• असकृत्: repeatedly
• असकृत्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: repeatedly)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis seeking kṣetra-niyama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaṇa proclaims the rule of dharma—Śiva must be worshipped first—while dragging Nairṛta by the hair and striking him, driving away inauspicious forces from the sacred precincts of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Nairṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma begins with honoring Maheśvara first; any ‘righteous’ act that sidelines Śiva is spiritually inverted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than geographic; it reinforces the Śiva-centric ethos that undergirds Kāśī’s sacred identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied rule of precedence: worship of Maheśa should be performed first in dhārmic rites (yajña/pujā contexts).