Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

गदाधरभवान्यत्र यत्र त्वं च पितामह । वृषध्वजोस्म्यहं यत्र फल्गुस्तत्र न संशयः

Transliteration

gadādharabhavānyatra yatra tvaṃ ca pitāmaha | vṛṣadhvajosmyahaṃ yatra phalgustatra na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

هنا غَدادهارا (Gadādhara) وبهافاني (Bhavānī)، وهنا أنت أيضًا، يا بيتامها (Pitāmaha). حيث أكون أنا، فريشادفاجا (Vṛṣadhvaja)، حاضرًا فهناك الفالغو (Phalgu) حقًّا، لا ريب.

Word by Word

• गदाधर: Gadādhara (Viṣṇu, bearer of the mace)
• गदाधर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गदां धरति इति)

• भवानी: Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• भवानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative adverb ‘where’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Pitāmaha)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृषध्वजः: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner bears the bull)
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृषः ध्वजः यस्य)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative adverb)

• फल्गुः: Phalgu (river/stream)
• फल्गुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phalgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Correlative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्-देशवाचक (correlative adverb ‘there’)

• न: no; not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva, Vṛṣadhvaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Kapilā-dhārā context; ‘Phalgu’ equivalence asserted)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitāmaha (Brahmā) is directly addressed in the verse; broader audience implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic darśana: Viṣṇu as Gadādhara, Devī as Bhavānī, Brahmā as Pitāmaha, and Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja appear above a Kāśī ghāṭa; beneath them flows a river labeled ‘Phalgu’ merging into the local current, signifying tīrtha-essence transfer.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Viṣṇu (Gadādhara)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Phalgu
• Kāśī (Kāpilatīrtha context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where the divine presence is complete—Śiva with Viṣṇu, Devī, and Brahmā—the merits of renowned tīrthas are spiritually present as well.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī tīrtha under discussion (Kāpilatīrtha/Kāpiladhārā), declared equivalent to Phalgu/Gayā in efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit support for śrāddha/piṇḍa rites here by asserting equivalence to Phalgu (Gayā’s famed śrāddha river).