Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

केशवादित्यमाराध्य वाराणस्यां नरोत्तमः । परमं ज्ञानमाप्नोति येन निर्वाणभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

keśavādityamārādhya vārāṇasyāṃ narottamaḥ | paramaṃ jñānamāpnoti yena nirvāṇabhāgbhavet

Translation

ৱাৰাণসীত কেশবাদিত্যক আৰাধনা কৰি নৰোত্তমে পৰম জ্ঞান লাভ কৰে; সেই জ্ঞানৰ দ্বাৰাই সি নিৰ্বাণৰ অংশীদাৰ হয়।

Word by Word

• केशवादित्यम्: Keśavāditya
• केशवादित्यम्: Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु; राध्—सिद्धौ/आराधने)
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having worshipped/propitiated”

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उत्तमः: excellent/best
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; नरः इति विशेषण

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ज्ञानम् इति विशेषण

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु; आप्—प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; साधनवाचक

• निर्वाणभाग्: a sharer in nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणभाग्: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण + भाग् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य भाग् = partaker of nirvāṇa)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु; भू—सत्तायाम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Keśavāditya (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative devotee worships Keśavāditya; rays of light transform into scriptural wisdom motifs (lotus, palm-leaf manuscripts), symbolizing paramajñāna and release.

Characters & Entities

• Keśavāditya
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-site worship in Kāśī is linked to liberating knowledge, presenting devotion as a doorway to nirvāṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Keśavāditya in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana—focused propitiatory worship of Keśavāditya in Vārāṇasī.