Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अनाथनाथः सर्वेषां विश्वनाथो हि गीयते । क्षणं मनसि संचित्य भवेदित्थमसंशयम्

Transliteration

anāthanāthaḥ sarveṣāṃ viśvanātho hi gīyate | kṣaṇaṃ manasi saṃcitya bhaveditthamasaṃśayam

Translation

فإنه يُنشد له باسم فيشفاناثا: ربّ الجميع، وملجأ من لا ملجأ له. فإذا جُمِعَت هذه الحقيقة في القلب ولو لحظةً واحدة، كان الأمر كذلك بلا ريب.

Word by Word

• अनाथनाथः: protector of the helpless
• अनाथनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाथ-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; अनाथ + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• विश्वनाथः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/हेतौ-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• गीयते: is sung / is praised
• गीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kala-Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (accusative of duration)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• संचित्य: having fixed (it)
• संचित्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-चि (धातु) → संचित्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having collected/fixed'

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: 'without doubt')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvanātha (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Self / implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee closes the eyes for a single moment of concentrated remembrance; above, the name ‘Viśvanātha’ appears as luminous script, while a protective aura surrounds the helpless.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvanātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even brief, steady remembrance of Viśvanātha transforms fear into certainty and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically through Viśvanātha (Śiva as worshiped in Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mental recollection/meditative holding (manasi saṃciti) of Viśvanātha’s refuge—an inner practice aligned with japa and smaraṇa.