Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

नागांगनाभिः परितः कृतनीराजनाविधिः । प्रविवेश महादेवः पुरीं वाराणसीं शुभाम्

Transliteration

nāgāṃganābhiḥ paritaḥ kṛtanīrājanāvidhiḥ | praviveśa mahādevaḥ purīṃ vārāṇasīṃ śubhām

Translation

Von Nāga-Frauen umringt, die den heiligen Ritus des Nīrājana vollzogen und die Lampen schwenkten, trat Mahādeva in die glückverheißende Stadt Vārāṇasī ein.

Word by Word

• नाग: of Nāgas
• नाग: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — ‘नागानाम्’ (of Nāgas) (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अंगनाभिः: by women
• अंगनाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंगना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — ‘by women’ (समासान्तपद)

• नागांगनाभिः: by Nāga-women
• नागांगनाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-अंगना (प्रातिपदिक; समासः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — ‘by Nāga-women’

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: परितोवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: all around)

• कृत: performed
• कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘performed’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• नीराजन: ārati (waving of lights)
• नीराजन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘ārati, waving of lights’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• विधिः: rite, procedure
• विधिः: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘rite/procedure’ (समासान्तपद)

• कृतनीराजनाविधिः: for whom the ārati-rite was performed
• कृतनीराजनाविधिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-नीराजन-विधि (प्रातिपदिक; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य नीराजनविधिः कृतः सः (महादेवः)

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन — ‘entered’

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — कर्ता

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘city’

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘Vārāṇasī’ विशेषणम् ‘पुरीम्’

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘auspicious’ विशेषणम् ‘पुरीम्’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāga-women encircle Mahādeva, performing nīrājana with lamps; the flames arc in rhythmic circles as he enters the auspicious city of Vārāṇasī, with ghats and temple spires glowing behind.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Vārāṇasī
• Nāga-women
• Nīrājana (ārati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Welcoming the Divine with reverent ritual (nīrājana/ārati) sanctifies place and people, revealing Kāśī as inherently auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), the auspicious city of Mahādeva, is explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nīrājana-vidhi (ārati: ceremonial lamp-waving) is mentioned as a rite of welcome and worship.