Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

जपहोमैः स्तोत्रपाठैः शिवनामोच्चभाषणैः । रासक्रीडादिसंयुक्तैश्चलनैः सप्रदक्षिणैः

Transliteration

japahomaiḥ stotrapāṭhaiḥ śivanāmoccabhāṣaṇaiḥ | rāsakrīḍādisaṃyuktaiścalanaiḥ sapradakṣiṇaiḥ

Translation

জপ ও হোম, স্তোত্রপাঠ, এবং উচ্চস্বরে শিবনামোচ্চারণ দ্বারা, রাসক্রীড়া-আদির সঙ্গে যুক্ত পবিত্র নৃত্যচরণ ও প্রদক্ষিণা সহ—তাঁরা কাশীতে ভক্তিভরে আরাধনা করলেন।

Word by Word

• japa-homaiḥ: by japa and homa (muttering and oblations)
• japa-homaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक) + homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (जपश्च होमश्च)

• stotra-pāṭhaiḥ: by recitations of hymns
• stotra-pāṭhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्तोत्रस्य पाठः)

• śiva-nāma-ucca-bhāṣaṇaiḥ: by loud utterances of Śiva’s names
• śiva-nāma-ucca-bhāṣaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + ucca (प्रातिपदिक/उपसर्गवत्) + bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (शिवनाम्नाम् उच्चभाषणम् = उच्चैः-भाषणम्/उच्चारणम्)

• rāsa-krīḍā-ādi-saṃyuktaiḥ: with movements joined with rāsa-dance, play, etc.
• rāsa-krīḍā-ādi-saṃyuktaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त, √yuj (धातु) + सम्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (रासक्रीडादिभिः संयुक्तः)

• calanaiḥ: by movements
• calanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: calana (प्रातिपदिक; √cal (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• sa-pradakṣiṇaiḥ: with circumambulations
• sa-pradakṣiṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pradakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास (सहिताः प्रदक्षिणाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees in Kāśī perform a composite rite: some chant Śiva-nāma loudly, others recite stotras, a homa fire glows, and a circle of worshippers moves in pradakṣiṇā with rhythmic steps like sacred dance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-worship is portrayed as wholehearted devotion—voice, body, and mind united through japa, hymn-recitation, and circumambulation of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where devotion to Śiva is celebrated as supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, homa, stotra-pāṭha, loud nāma-ucchāraṇa (name-chanting), and pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation), even accompanied by devotional dance-like movement.