Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

शैवाः पूज्याः प्रयत्नेन काश्या मोक्षमभीप्सुभिः । तेष्वर्चितेष्वपि शिवः प्रीतो भवत्यसंशयः

Transliteration

śaivāḥ pūjyāḥ prayatnena kāśyā mokṣamabhīpsubhiḥ | teṣvarciteṣvapi śivaḥ prīto bhavatyasaṃśayaḥ

Translation

কাশীত মোক্ষকামীয়ে যত্নসহ শৈৱভক্তসকলক পূজ্য বুলি মানি সন্মান কৰিব লাগে; কিয়নো তেওঁলোকৰ আৰ্চনা হ’লে শিৱ স্বয়ং নিঃসন্দেহে প্ৰসন্ন হন।

Word by Word

• śaivāḥ: Śaivas (devotees of Śiva)
• śaivāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक; शिव-सम्बन्धिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; जातिवाचक-संज्ञा

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज् + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• kāśyā: in Kāśī
• kāśyā: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• mokṣam: liberation
• mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• abhīpsubhiḥ: by those desiring
• abhīpsubhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhīpsu (कृदन्त; √āp आप्/ईप्स्-इच्छार्थक + उ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• teṣu: among them / in them
• teṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्य-प्रयोग), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• arciteṣu: when (they are) worshipped
• arciteṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arcita (कृदन्त; √arc अर्च् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; 'तेषु' इति विशेषण

• api: even / also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देवता-नाम

• prītaḥ: pleased
• prītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīta (कृदन्त; √prī प्री + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; 'śivaḥ' इति विशेषण

• bhavati: becomes / is
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asaṃśayaḥ: without doubt
• asaṃśayaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक; a- + saṃśaya)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे निपातवत्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial: 'without doubt')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta/Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/mokṣa-seekers addressed as ‘you’ (general adhikārin)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mokṣa-seeking pilgrim in Kāśī offers respectful worship and hospitality to Śaiva ascetics near a shrine of Viśveśvara; Śiva’s unseen presence is suggested by aura/light over the liṅga and devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śiva
• Śaivas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving and honoring Śiva’s devotees in Kāśī is a direct means to gain Śiva’s grace and move toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the Śiva-kṣetra where devotion, service, and liberation are closely linked.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā/arcana (honoring, worshipping) of Śaivas—devotees of Śiva—is prescribed as a devotional practice.