Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

गीर्वाणगीतनाथाय गंगाकल्लोलमालिने । गौरीशाय गिरीशाय गिरिशाय गुहारणे

Transliteration

gīrvāṇagītanāthāya gaṃgākallolamāline | gaurīśāya girīśāya giriśāya guhāraṇe

Translation

দেৱগীতত বন্দিত নাথ, গঙ্গাৰ ঢৌৰ মালাৰে বিভূষিত; গৌৰীৰ স্বামী, গিৰিৰ অধীশ্বৰ শিৱ, কাশীৰ পবিত্ৰ গুহাধামত নিবাসী—তোমাক নমস্কাৰ।

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.