Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

समस्तपुण्यनिलयं समस्तार्थप्रकाशकम् । समस्तकामजनकं परानंदैककारणम्

Transliteration

samastapuṇyanilayaṃ samastārthaprakāśakam | samastakāmajanakaṃ parānaṃdaikakāraṇam

Translation

Er (Śiva/Trilocana) ist die Wohnstatt allen Verdienstes, der Erleuchter jedes wahren Zieles, der Spender aller rechten Wünsche und die einzige Ursache höchster Seligkeit.

Word by Word

• samastapuṇyanilayam: abode of all merit
• samastapuṇyanilayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + nilaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: समस्तं पुण्यं यस्मिन्/यत्र सः निलयः) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• samastārthaprakāśakam: revealer of all meanings/aims
• samastārthaprakāśakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + prakāśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: समस्तानाम् अर्थानां प्रकाशकः) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective used substantively)

• samastakāmajanakam: producer of all desires/boons
• samastakāmajanakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + janaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: समस्तानां कामानां जनकः) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• parānandaikakāraṇam: the sole cause of supreme bliss
• parānandaikakāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषः: परः आनन्दः; तस्य एकं कारणम्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana/Śiva in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hymn-like tableau: Śiva as Trilocana radiating light that ‘illuminates purposes’, with streams of symbolic merit (puṇya) and calm bliss (ānanda) emanating toward the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is portrayed as the comprehensive source—merit, meaning, fulfillment, and liberation-oriented bliss converge in him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī through the epithet Trilocana and the surrounding context of worship in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is named; it functions as a stuti (praise) supporting worship and contemplation.