Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

विश्वेशश्चेत्प्रसन्नः स्यात्तदा स्यान्नान्यथा क्वचित् । तस्माच्चेतो विशुद्ध्यर्थं काशीनाथं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

viśveśaścetprasannaḥ syāttadā syānnānyathā kvacit | tasmācceto viśuddhyarthaṃ kāśīnāthaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

যদি বিশ্বেশ্বর প্রসন্ন হন, তবেই কার্য সিদ্ধ হয়, অন্যথা নয়। তাই চিত্তশুদ্ধির জন্য কাশীনাথের আশ্রয় নেওয়া উচিত।

Word by Word

• विश्वेशः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—विश्वस्य ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• प्रसन्नः: pleased, gracious
• प्रसन्नः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √सद्/सद् + नि, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) विशेषण

• स्यात्: may be / would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (अनुवृत्ति)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'otherwise')

• क्वचित्: anywhere; ever
• क्वचित्: Deśa/Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Place/Time adjunct/देश-कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'anywhere/ever')

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्—पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative sg) सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थे 'therefore/from that'

• चेतः: mind
• चेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object) अधिकरणीय

• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: for purification
• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—विशुद्ध्यर्थम् (चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनवाचक: 'for the sake of purification')

• काशीनाथम्: Lord of Kāśī
• काशीनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—काश्याः नाथः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• समाश्रयेत्: should take refuge in
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa narrative style within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra) / Viśveśa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with folded hands stands before Viśveśa (Śiva-liṅga) in Kāśī, with the Gaṅgā flowing nearby and temple spires rising; the atmosphere conveys certainty that grace alone perfects all aims.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa
• Kāśīnātha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual success depends on Śiva’s grace; devotion to Kāśīnātha is a direct means to purify the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through its lord Kāśīnātha/Viśveśa, is explicitly praised as the refuge for inner purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking refuge in (worship/serving) Kāśīnātha is prescribed as a sādhanā for citta-śuddhi (mind purification).