Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

केशवादित्यमाराध्य वाराणस्यां नरोत्तमः । परमं ज्ञानमाप्नोति येन निर्वाणभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

keśavādityamārādhya vārāṇasyāṃ narottamaḥ | paramaṃ jñānamāpnoti yena nirvāṇabhāgbhavet

Translation

Wer Keśavāditya in Vārāṇasī verehrt, erlangt als der Beste der Menschen das höchste Wissen, durch das er Anteil am Nirvāṇa, der endgültigen Befreiung, gewinnt.

Word by Word

• केशवादित्यम्: Keśavāditya
• केशवादित्यम्: Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु; राध्—सिद्धौ/आराधने)
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having worshipped/propitiated”

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उत्तमः: excellent/best
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; नरः इति विशेषण

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ज्ञानम् इति विशेषण

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु; आप्—प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; साधनवाचक

• निर्वाणभाग्: a sharer in nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणभाग्: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण + भाग् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य भाग् = partaker of nirvāṇa)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु; भू—सत्तायाम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Keśavāditya (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative devotee worships Keśavāditya; rays of light transform into scriptural wisdom motifs (lotus, palm-leaf manuscripts), symbolizing paramajñāna and release.

Characters & Entities

• Keśavāditya
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-site worship in Kāśī is linked to liberating knowledge, presenting devotion as a doorway to nirvāṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Keśavāditya in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana—focused propitiatory worship of Keśavāditya in Vārāṇasī.