Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

महाश्रेयस्करं पुण्यं मनोरथकरं परम् । द्युनदीप्रीतिजनकं शिवसंतोषसंतति

Transliteration

mahāśreyaskaraṃ puṇyaṃ manorathakaraṃ param | dyunadīprītijanakaṃ śivasaṃtoṣasaṃtati

Translation

Es ist höchst verdienstvoll, bringt großes Heil und erfüllt edle Wünsche. Es erfreut den himmlischen Fluss (Gaṅgā) und lässt einen ununterbrochenen Strom von Śivas Wohlgefallen entstehen.

Word by Word

• महाश्रेयस्करम्: bringing great welfare
• महाश्रेयस्करम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-श्रेयस्-कर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + श्रेयस् + कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महच्छ्रेयः करोति)

• पुण्यम्: merit; holy (thing)
• पुण्यम्: कर्ता/कर्म (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मनोरथकरम्: fulfilling desires
• मनोरथकरम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरथ-कर (प्रातिपदिक; मनस् + रथ > मनोरथ + कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मनोरथं करोति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• द्युनदीप्रीतिजनकम्: producing delight in the celestial river
• द्युनदीप्रीतिजनकम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्युनदी-प्रीति-जनक (प्रातिपदिक; द्युनदी + प्रीति + जनक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्युनद्याः प्रीतिं जनयति)

• शिवसंतोषसंततिः: a continuous stream of Śiva’s satisfaction
• शिवसंतोषसंततिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-संतोष-संतति (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + संतोष + संतति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य संतोषस्य संततिः/प्रवाहः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / qualified devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā personified as a radiant goddess rising subtly from the river, smiling as devotees chant; above, Śiva’s benign presence (or liṅga silhouette) indicates ‘Śiva-santoṣa-santati’—a continuous stream of satisfaction like the river’s flow.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (Dyunadī)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha practice yields both worldly well-being (śreyas) and devotional fruit—pleasing Gaṅgā and Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā (the ‘heavenly river’) within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse describes results of the forthcoming practice rather than detailing steps: it grants puṇya, fulfills aims, and pleases Gaṅgā and Śiva.