Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

इदमेव हि मे रूपं स्थावरं चाति सिद्धिदम् । एते पाशुपता सिद्धा आबाल ब्रह्मचारिणः

Transliteration

idameva hi me rūpaṃ sthāvaraṃ cāti siddhidam | ete pāśupatā siddhā ābāla brahmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

“此实为吾之本形——安住不动——却能赐予殊胜成就。此等乃已圆满之帕舒帕塔，童年起即守梵行者。”

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• sthāvaram: immovable/static
• sthāvaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthāvara (स्थावर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying rūpam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ati: very/exceedingly
• ati: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier; ‘very/exceedingly’)

• siddhidam: bestowing success/powers
• siddhidam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi + da (सिद्धि-प्रातिपदिक + √दा (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रत्यय: खल्/ण्वुलादि-प्रयोगार्थ ‘द’ (giver); तत्पुरुषः—‘सिद्धिं ददाति’ इति

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• pāśupatāḥ: Pāśupatas (followers of Paśupati/Śiva)
• pāśupatāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (पाशुपत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• siddhāḥ: accomplished/perfected
• siddhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha (सिद्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pāśupatāḥ)

• ābāla: from childhood
• ābāla: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + bāla (आ + बाल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः ‘बाल्यादारभ्य’ (from childhood)

• brahmacāriṇaḥ: celibate students/ascetics
• brahmacāriṇaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (quoting Śiva’s teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A still, immovable Śiva-presence (sthāvara form) is indicated—suggesting a liṅga or aniconic manifestation—surrounded by youthful Pāśupata brahmacārins, ash-marked, serene, and perfected.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga (implied as ‘this form’)
• Pāśupatas
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The unmoving Liṅga symbolizes the steady Absolute; disciplined life (brahmacarya) aligns one with that steadiness and yields spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Liṅga-centered worship culture is implied, presenting the city as a seat of Pāśupata perfection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescriptions are Liṅga-upāsanā and brahmacarya as a lifelong discipline, characteristic of Pāśupata sādhana.