Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

विश्वेशश्चेत्प्रसन्नः स्यात्तदा स्यान्नान्यथा क्वचित् । तस्माच्चेतो विशुद्ध्यर्थं काशीनाथं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

viśveśaścetprasannaḥ syāttadā syānnānyathā kvacit | tasmācceto viśuddhyarthaṃ kāśīnāthaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

If Viśveśa is pleased, then all is accomplished—never otherwise, anywhere. Therefore, for the purification of the mind, one should take refuge in Kāśīnātha.

Word by Word

• विश्वेशः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—विश्वस्य ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• प्रसन्नः: pleased, gracious
• प्रसन्नः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √सद्/सद् + नि, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) विशेषण

• स्यात्: may be / would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (अनुवृत्ति)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'otherwise')

• क्वचित्: anywhere; ever
• क्वचित्: Deśa/Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Place/Time adjunct/देश-कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'anywhere/ever')

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्—पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative sg) सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थे 'therefore/from that'

• चेतः: mind
• चेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object) अधिकरणीय

• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: for purification
• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—विशुद्ध्यर्थम् (चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनवाचक: 'for the sake of purification')

• काशीनाथम्: Lord of Kāśī
• काशीनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—काश्याः नाथः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• समाश्रयेत्: should take refuge in
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa narrative style within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra) / Viśveśa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with folded hands stands before Viśveśa (Śiva-liṅga) in Kāśī, with the Gaṅgā flowing nearby and temple spires rising; the atmosphere conveys certainty that grace alone perfects all aims.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa
• Kāśīnātha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual success depends on Śiva’s grace; devotion to Kāśīnātha is a direct means to purify the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through its lord Kāśīnātha/Viśveśa, is explicitly praised as the refuge for inner purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking refuge in (worship/serving) Kāśīnātha is prescribed as a sādhanā for citta-śuddhi (mind purification).