Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ताभिस्तप्त्वा तपस्तीव्रं प्राप्य वैश्वेश्वरीं पुरीम् । आराधितो महादेवः सोमः सोमविभूपणः

Transliteration

tābhistaptvā tapastīvraṃ prāpya vaiśveśvarīṃ purīm | ārādhito mahādevaḥ somaḥ somavibhūpaṇaḥ

Translation

وبعد أن أتين بتقشّفات شديدة، بلغن مدينة فايشفيشْفَري (كاشي). هناك عُبد مهاديڤا؛ كما استُرضي سوما—مُزيِّن سوما، سيّد القمر وأرباب المنازل النجمية (نكشتر).

Word by Word

• tābhiḥ: by them (those women)
• tābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• taptvā: having performed austerity / having heated (i.e., done tapas)
• taptvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tīvram: intense
• tīvram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tapaḥ)

• prāpya: having attained
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prā-āp (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• vaiśveśvarīm: (the city) of Viśveśvara
• vaiśveśvarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśveśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (purīm)

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ārādhitaḥ: was worshipped
• ārādhitaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva (the great god)
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• somaḥ: Soma (Moon)
• somaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• soma-vibhūpaṇaḥ: the ornament/glory of Soma
• soma-vibhūpaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (somasya vibhūpaṇaḥ)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of radiant maidens, marked by austerity, entering Kāśī’s sacred lanes; in the center, a shrine of Mahādeva (Viśveśvara) with lamps and bilva leaves; Soma is honored alongside—moon iconography, cool white glow, nakṣatra motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vaiśveśvarī Purī)
• Viśveśvara
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Soma (Moon deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity culminates in pilgrimage and worship; Kāśī is presented as the natural destination where devotion bears fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaiśveśvarī Purī—Kāśī, the city of Viśveśvara (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and ārādhana (formal worship/propitiation) of Mahādeva (and Soma) are indicated.