Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अतः प्रभावं विज्ञाय धर्मपीठस्य धूर्जटे । धर्मेश्वरसमीपेहं स्थास्याम्यद्य दिनावधि

Transliteration

ataḥ prabhāvaṃ vijñāya dharmapīṭhasya dhūrjaṭe | dharmeśvarasamīpehaṃ sthāsyāmyadya dināvadhi

Translation

Darum, da ich die Kraft dieses Dharma-pīṭha erkannt habe, o Dhūrjaṭi, werde ich von heute an hier in der Nähe Dharmeśvaras verweilen.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ (therefore/from this reason)

• प्रभावम्: power, efficacy
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having known
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• धर्मपीठस्य: of the Dharma-seat
• धर्मपीठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य पीठम्)

• धूर्जटे: O Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• धूर्जटे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्जटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• धर्मेश्वरसमीपे: near Dharmēśvara
• धर्मेश्वरसमीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर + समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मेश्वरस्य समीपम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थास्यामि: will stay/stand
• स्थास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दिनावधि: until (the end of) the day(s)
• दिनावधि: Avyaya (Limit/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिन + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय (up to the limit of days)

Speaker

Ambikā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (Dharmeśvaraliṅga) at Dharma-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience (sages); internal: Śiva addressed by Ambikā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambikā, having grasped the pīṭha’s potency, vows to remain beside Dharmeśvara; the shrine appears as a stable axis, with Devī’s posture conveying firm resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmapīṭha
• Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• Dharmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing a place’s dharmic potency leads to steadfast devotion—choosing to dwell near the Lord as a form of continual worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmeśvara and the Dharmapīṭha in Kāśī, treated as a powerful locus of dharma and spiritual attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the devotional resolve is “to stay near Dharmeśvara,” implying ongoing darśana and worship.