Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

वायुर्व्यजनतां यातस्त्वां सेवेत प्रयत्नतः । स्वच्छान्यंबूनि वरुणः प्रत्यहं पूरयत्यहो

Transliteration

vāyurvyajanatāṃ yātastvāṃ seveta prayatnataḥ | svacchānyaṃbūni varuṇaḥ pratyahaṃ pūrayatyaho

Translation

Vāyu, zum Fächerträger geworden, dient Dir mit Eifer; und Varuṇa — wahrlich wunderbar — füllt Tag für Tag mit klarem Wasser.

Word by Word

• वायुः: the wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यजनताम्: the role of a fan/fanning service
• व्यजनताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक (state/role: fanning-service)

• यातः: having become/attained
• यातः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having gone/attained)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम-रूप

• सेवेत: should serve
• सेवेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), क्रियाविशेषण

• स्वच्छानि: clear/pure
• स्वच्छानि: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (of अंबूनि)

• अंबूनि: waters
• अंबूनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति-अहम्: every day
• प्रति-अहम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• पूरयति: fills/supplies
• पूरयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूरय् (धातु, णिजन्त/causative of पॄ)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहो: indeed!/ah!
• अहो: Bhava-prakasha (Exclamation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक-अव्यय (exclamatory particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine service scene: Vāyu personified gently waving a ceremonial fan near the Lord, while Varuṇa pours crystal-clear water into vessels or a sacred basin, keeping the precinct perpetually refreshed.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the highest holy sphere, even cosmic deities perform humble service—devotion and duty (seva) are superior to status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, envisioned as the Lord’s city where even elements and deities sustain sacred life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports tīrtha practice through emphasis on pure waters (snāna/ācamanīya contexts), though no explicit injunction is stated.