Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

गुरुशुश्रूषणं कुर्वन्यावज्जीवं नरोत्तमः । यत्पुण्यमर्जयेत्तद्भाग्वर्षं त्रिषवणं जपन्

Transliteration

guruśuśrūṣaṇaṃ kurvanyāvajjīvaṃ narottamaḥ | yatpuṇyamarjayettadbhāgvarṣaṃ triṣavaṇaṃ japan

Translation

Der Beste der Menschen erwirbt durch den lebenslangen Dienst am Guru das daraus entstehende Verdienst; ebendieses Verdienst erlangt, wer dies ein Bhāga-Jahr lang dreimal täglich rezitiert.

Word by Word

• guru-śuśrūṣaṇam: service to the teacher
• guru-śuśrūṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular

• kurvan: doing
• kurvan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (नरोत्तमः इति) विशेषणम्; present active participle ‘doing’

• yāvat-jīvam: throughout life
• yāvat-jīvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययार्थे ‘जीवनपर्यन्तम्’; adverbial ‘as long as one lives’

• nara-uttamaḥ: the best of men
• nara-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता; Nominative singular masculine

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुण्यम् इति) विशेषणार्थे; ‘whatever’

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular

• arjayet: should acquire
• arjayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्-लकार), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative, 3rd sg. ‘should acquire’

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (भाग्वर्षम् इति) विशेषणम्; ‘that’

• bhāg-varṣam: a share’s worth (portion)
• bhāg-varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म; Accusative singular; अर्थः ‘भागेन तुल्यम्/भागमात्रम्’ (idiomatic)

• tri-savaṇam: three times a day
• tri-savaṇam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + savaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जपन्/जपम् implied) विशेषणम्; Accusative singular neuter

• japan: reciting
• japan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jap (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (नरोत्तमः इति) विशेषणम्; present active participle ‘reciting’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī–Gaṅgā practice context (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like scene: the same devotee chanting at three sandhyās—sunrise on ghāṭa, midday in a shaded maṇḍapa, sunset with lamps—while a subtle guru-figure’s blessing hand appears in the sky, indicating equivalence to guru-sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady spiritual discipline (regular japa) is extolled as comparable in merit to lifelong guru-service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Gaṅgā-centered praise, linking the discipline to Kāśī’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Triṣavaṇa japa—chanting three times daily—for the duration of a Bhāga-year.