Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्येऽत्र ते लोके वसंत्युज्ज्वलतेजसः । गोकर्णेशस्य सरसः प्रत्यक्तीरे प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

prājāpatye'tra te loke vasaṃtyujjvalatejasaḥ | gokarṇeśasya sarasaḥ pratyaktīre pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

Hier, in diesem prājāpatya Bereich, wohnen jene von strahlender Kraft. Dieser heilige Ort ist am westlichen Ufer des Sees von Gokarṇeśa gegründet.

Word by Word

• प्राजापत्ये: in the Prajāpatya (world/region)
• प्राजापत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Pronoun, nominative plural

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वसन्ति: dwell, reside
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• उज्ज्वलतेजसः: of brilliant splendor
• उज्ज्वलतेजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्ज्वल + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying 'ते'

• गोकर्णेशस्य: of Gokarṇeśa
• गोकर्णेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण + ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• सरसः: of the lake
• सरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रत्यक्तीरे: on the western bank
• प्रत्यक्तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक् + तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established, situated
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with implied neuter subject (e.g., 'स्थानम्/लिङ्गम्')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇeśa-sarasa (pratyak-tīra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at a serene lake of Gokarṇeśa in Kāśī; on the western bank luminous sages/tejasvins appear as subtle presences; the bank is marked by small shrines and trees, with a calm, sanctified atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Prājāpatya-loka
• Gokarṇeśa
• Gokarṇeśa-sarasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text maps holiness onto geography: radiant spiritual attainments are tied to dwelling and worship in Śiva’s marked places in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇeśa-sarasa (the lake/pond of Gokarṇeśa) and its western bank within Kāśī’s Avimukta region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; residence/association with the sacred bank and site is implied as meritorious.