Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा विधानेन दृष्ट्वा विश्वेश्वरं विभुम् । त्रैलोक्यप्राणिसंत्राणकारिणं प्रणनाम ह

Transliteration

tatra snātvā vidhānena dṛṣṭvā viśveśvaraṃ vibhum | trailokyaprāṇisaṃtrāṇakāriṇaṃ praṇanāma ha

Translation

Nachdem er dort nach der rechten Vorschrift gebadet und Viśveśvara geschaut hatte, den allgegenwärtigen Herrn, den Beschützer der Wesen in den drei Welten, verneigte er sich in ehrfürchtiger Hingabe.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); स्ना-धातोः; ‘having bathed’

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); दृश्-धातोः; ‘having seen’

• विश्वेश्वरम्: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म); एकवचन

• विभुम्: the all-pervading (one)
• विभुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (विश्वेश्वरम्)

• त्रैलोक्यप्राणिसंत्राणकारिणम्: the doer of protection of beings in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यप्राणिसंत्राणकारिणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + प्राणि + संत्राण + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; विशेषण (विश्वेश्वरम्)

• प्रणनाम: bowed down
• प्रणनाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—Viśveśvara with Gaṅgā-snānā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, wet from ritual bathing, approaches the sanctum of Viśveśvara; lamps flicker, priests chant; the devotee bows with folded hands as the liṅga radiates protective, all-pervading presence.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly performed purification (snāna) culminates in darśana and humble surrender to Viśveśvara, who is refuge for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the sphere of Viśveśvara (the chief Śiva of Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna ‘vidhānena’ (bathing according to rule) followed by darśana of Viśveśvara and praṇāma (obeisance).