Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ज्योतिश्चक्रे समस्तेऽस्मिन्नग्रगण्या भविष्यथ । मेषादीनां च राशीनां योनयो यूयमुत्तमाः

Transliteration

jyotiścakre samaste'sminnagragaṇyā bhaviṣyatha | meṣādīnāṃ ca rāśīnāṃ yonayo yūyamuttamāḥ

Translation

في هذه الدائرة كلّها من النور السماوي ستُعَدَدْنَ في الطليعة؛ وبين بروج الفلك المبتدئة بالحَمَل ستكوننّ الأرحامَ الفاضلة، منابعَها ومهادَها التي منها تنشأ.

Word by Word

• ज्योतिःचक्रे: in the circle of lights (zodiacal wheel)
• ज्योतिःचक्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्योतिषां चक्रम्)

• समस्ते: in the entire/complete (one)
• समस्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्योतिश्चक्रे)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रगण्याः: foremost, pre-eminent
• अग्रगण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्रगण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यूयम्)

• भविष्यथ: you will be
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मेषादीनाम्: of Aries and the others
• मेषादीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मेषः आदिः येषाम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• राशीनाम्: of the zodiac-signs
• राशीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• योनयः: origins, wombs, sources
• योनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• यूयम्: you
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• उत्तमाः: excellent, best
• उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यूयम्/योनयः)

Speaker

Bhagavad-gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants), addressing the Nakṣatras (star-deities)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial wheel (jyotiścakra) with zodiac signs emerging from radiant womb-like matrices, while Kāśī’s Śaiva aura subtly anchors the vision—suggesting a sacred city mirrored in the heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatras
• Rāśis (zodiac signs)
• Meṣa (Aries)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is sacred: the star-powers are honored as foremost principles within the divine design of the universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), in the context of the Nakṣatreśvara-liṅga’s greatness within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the exalted status of the nakṣatras as a basis for their worship.