Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

गीर्वाणगीतनाथाय गंगाकल्लोलमालिने । गौरीशाय गिरीशाय गिरिशाय गुहारणे

Transliteration

gīrvāṇagītanāthāya gaṃgākallolamāline | gaurīśāya girīśāya giriśāya guhāraṇe

Translation

سلامٌ لذاك الذي هو الربُّ الممدوحُ في أناشيدِ الآلهة، المتوَّجُ بإكليلِ أمواجِ الغانغا المتلاطمة؛ سلامٌ لربِّ غوري، ربِّ الجبال—شيفا—الساكنِ في مغارةِ كاشي المقدَّسة.

Word by Word

• गीर्वाणगीतनाथाय: to the lord of the songs of the gods
• गीर्वाणगीतनाथाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीर्वाण + गीत + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/दत्त), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गीर्वाणानां गीतस्य नाथः)

• गंगाकल्लोलमालिने: to the one garlanded with the waves of the Ganga
• गंगाकल्लोलमालिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + कल्लोल + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः कल्लोलानां मालिन्)

• गौरीशाय: to the lord of Gauri
• गौरीशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गौर्याः ईशः)

• गिरीशाय: to the lord of the mountain(s)
• गिरीशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गिरेः ईशः)

• गिरिशाय: to Girisha (Shiva, lord of the mountain)
• गिरिशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गिरेः शः/शिवः)

• गुहारणे: to the cave-dweller / one abiding in caves
• गुहारणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा + अरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुहायाम् अरणः/अरण्यवासी इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional tableau: Śiva as Gaurīśa and Girīśa, seated/standing in Kāśī’s sanctum-like cavern space; Gaṅgā’s foaming waves rise as a garland around Him; devas above sing hymns.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṅgā
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Śiva as the divine refuge—praised even by the gods—brings the mind to devotion and liberation-oriented awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied through the Śiva-stuti imagery (Gaṅgā and the cave-like abode/shrine), pointing to Viśveśvara’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as a namaskāra-stotra for japa/recitation.