Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यत्र विश्वेश्वरो देवो विश्वेषां कर्णधारकः । व्याचष्टे तारकं ज्ञानं येन तन्मयतां ययुः

Transliteration

yatra viśveśvaro devo viśveṣāṃ karṇadhārakaḥ | vyācaṣṭe tārakaṃ jñānaṃ yena tanmayatāṃ yayuḥ

Translation

„Wo ist Herr Viśveśvara — der Steuermann aller Wesen — der die rettende ‘Tāraka’-Erkenntnis darlegt, durch die die Seelen Einssein mit Jenem, dem Höchsten, erlangen?“

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Desha (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: place)

• विश्वेश्वरः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; apposition to विश्वेश्वरः

• विश्वेषाम्: of all (beings)
• विश्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कर्णधारकः: the helmsman/guide
• कर्णधारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्णं धारयति/कर्णधारः = helmsman; here 'guide')

• व्याचष्टे: explains/teaches
• व्याचष्टे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: वि + आ

• तारकम्: saving/liberating
• तारकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ज्ञानम्)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तन्मयताम्: identity/absorption in That
• तन्मयताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मयता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तन्मयः भावः = state of being absorbed in That)

• ययुः: attained/went to
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Tvāṣṭra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (Kāśī) / Ānandavana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the muni/tapasvin

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśveśvara as cosmic helmsman—Śiva serene, teaching the Tāraka wisdom to a departing soul or to seekers in Kāśī; the scene suggests a boat crossing the ocean of saṃsāra, anchored at the Kāśī shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Śiva
• Tāraka-jñāna
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to Śiva’s direct guidance in Kāśī—symbolized by Tāraka-jñāna that ferries the soul beyond saṃsāra into realization of the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, especially the presence of Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) as the liberating deity of the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse alludes to the salvific teaching (Tāraka-jñāna/mantra) rather than prescribing a specific external ritual.