Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

गुरुशुश्रूषणं कुर्वन्यावज्जीवं नरोत्तमः । यत्पुण्यमर्जयेत्तद्भाग्वर्षं त्रिषवणं जपन्

Transliteration

guruśuśrūṣaṇaṃ kurvanyāvajjīvaṃ narottamaḥ | yatpuṇyamarjayettadbhāgvarṣaṃ triṣavaṇaṃ japan

Translation

أفضل الناس، إذا لازم خدمة الغورو طوال حياته، نال ما ينشأ عنها من برٍّ وفضل؛ وذلك الفضل بعينه يناله من يداوم على تلاوة هذا لمدة سنةٍ من «بهاگا»، ثلاث مراتٍ في اليوم.

Word by Word

• guru-śuśrūṣaṇam: service to the teacher
• guru-śuśrūṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular

• kurvan: doing
• kurvan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (नरोत्तमः इति) विशेषणम्; present active participle ‘doing’

• yāvat-jīvam: throughout life
• yāvat-jīvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययार्थे ‘जीवनपर्यन्तम्’; adverbial ‘as long as one lives’

• nara-uttamaḥ: the best of men
• nara-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता; Nominative singular masculine

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुण्यम् इति) विशेषणार्थे; ‘whatever’

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular

• arjayet: should acquire
• arjayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्-लकार), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative, 3rd sg. ‘should acquire’

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (भाग्वर्षम् इति) विशेषणम्; ‘that’

• bhāg-varṣam: a share’s worth (portion)
• bhāg-varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular; अर्थः ‘भागेन तुल्यम्/भागमात्रम्’ (idiomatic)

• tri-savaṇam: three times a day
• tri-savaṇam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + savaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जपन्/जपम् implied) विशेषणम्; Accusative singular neuter

• japan: reciting
• japan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jap (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (नरोत्तमः इति) विशेषणम्; present active participle ‘reciting’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī–Gaṅgā practice context (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like scene: the same devotee chanting at three sandhyās—sunrise on ghāṭa, midday in a shaded maṇḍapa, sunset with lamps—while a subtle guru-figure’s blessing hand appears in the sky, indicating equivalence to guru-sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady spiritual discipline (regular japa) is extolled as comparable in merit to lifelong guru-service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Gaṅgā-centered praise, linking the discipline to Kāśī’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Triṣavaṇa japa—chanting three times daily—for the duration of a Bhāga-year.