Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेन्महालक्ष्मीं स्थिरलक्ष्मीसमृद्धये । इमां यात्रां नरः कृत्वा क्षेत्रेस्मिन्मुक्तिजन्मनि

Transliteration

tato gacchenmahālakṣmīṃ sthiralakṣmīsamṛddhaye | imāṃ yātrāṃ naraḥ kṛtvā kṣetresminmuktijanmani

Translation

Danach soll man zum (Schrein der) Mahālakṣmī gehen, um beständigen und dauerhaften Wohlstand zu mehren. Wer diese Pilgerfahrt in diesem heiligen Kṣetra vollzieht, das die Befreiung gebiert, erlangt glückverheißende Erfüllung.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; विधिलिङ्-प्रायः आदेशः/should go

• mahālakṣmīm: Mahālakṣmī
• mahālakṣmīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लक्ष्मी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; कर्मपदम्

• sthira-lakṣmī-samṛddhaye: for the prosperity of steady fortune
• sthira-lakṣmī-samṛddhaye: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthira + lakṣmī + samṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्तिः (Dative/4th), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (yātrām इति)

• yātrām: pilgrimage/ritual journey
• yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; कर्मपदम्

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; कर्ता

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done)

• kṣetre: in the sacred field
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम्

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (kṣetre)

• mukti-janmani: where liberation is born
• mukti-janmani: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (kṣetre) — ‘मुक्तेः जन्म यस्मिन्’ (where liberation is born)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahālakṣmī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, having completed earlier Kāśī stations, approaches a Mahālakṣmī shrine with lamps and lotus offerings; the city’s narrow lanes open into a small temple court; Lakṣmī is envisioned as bestowing ‘sthiralakṣmī’ while Kāśī’s mokṣa-aura pervades.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālakṣmī
• Kāśī Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, pilgrimage is both worldly-auspicious (stable prosperity) and ultimately liberation-oriented.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahālakṣmī’s shrine/tīrtha within the Kāśī Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To proceed to Mahālakṣmī as part of the prescribed yātrā for attaining steady fortune.