Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

विधेश्च गौरवं रक्षंस्तथोरी कृतवान्हरः । जंबूद्वीपे यथा काशी निर्वाणपददा सदा

Transliteration

vidheśca gauravaṃ rakṣaṃstathorī kṛtavānharaḥ | jaṃbūdvīpe yathā kāśī nirvāṇapadadā sadā

Translation

حِفاظًا على جلالِ فيدهي (براهما)، قبِلَ هارا (شيفا) ذلك على الوجه اللائق. وكما أنّ كاشي في جمبودفيبا تمنحُ أبدًا مقامَ التحرّر (نيرفانا).

Word by Word

• विधेः: of Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• गौरवम्: honour/respect
• गौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्षन्: protecting/maintaining
• रक्षन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• उरी: assenting/accepting
• उरी: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उरी (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वीकृत्यर्थक (particle: assent/acceptance)

• कृतवान्: did/has done
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Main predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृतवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्तवत्, perfective past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जम्बूद्वीपे: in Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (जम्बू-नामकः द्वीपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• काशी: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्वाणपददा: giver of the state of liberation
• निर्वाणपददा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण + पद + दा (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातुज)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्वाणस्य पदं ददाति इति/निर्वाणपदं ददाति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (काशी-विशेषण)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: always)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-mahātmya audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Hara) stands as protector of Brahmā’s honor, accepting a decision/boon; behind them, Kāśī is visualized as a luminous city on the Gaṅgā, radiating the ‘nirvāṇa-pada’ promise.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Jambūdvīpa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a perpetual liberating kṣetra; honoring divine order and mutual reverence sustains cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as nirvāṇa-pada-dā—ever granting liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated in this verse; it asserts the salvific greatness of Kāśī as a sacred field.