Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

गुरुपूजां व्यधुः सर्वे गीर्वाणा मुदिताननाः । अभिषिक्तो वसिष्ठाद्यैर्मंत्रपूतेन वारिणा

Transliteration

gurupūjāṃ vyadhuḥ sarve gīrvāṇā muditānanāḥ | abhiṣikto vasiṣṭhādyairmaṃtrapūtena vāriṇā

Translation

All the gods, their faces joyful, performed worship of the Guru. He was consecrated by Vasiṣṭha and others with water sanctified by mantras.

Word by Word

• गुरु-पूजाम्: worship of the guru
• गुरु-पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः पूजा)

• व्यधुः: they performed
• व्यधुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; धा—‘to do/perform’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वे जनाः)

• गीर्वाणाः: the gods
• गीर्वाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘देवाः’ (syn.)

• मुदित-आननाः: with joyful faces
• मुदित-आननाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘मुदितम् आननं येषाम्’

• अभिषिक्तः: (he) was anointed
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘anointed’

• वसिष्ठ-आद्यैः: by Vasiṣṭha and others
• वसिष्ठ-आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘वसिष्ठः आदिः येषाम्’

• मन्त्र-पूतेन: purified by mantras
• मन्त्र-पूतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मन्त्रेण पूतम्’

• वारिणा: with water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly of devas with joyful faces performs guru-pūjā; Vasiṣṭha and other ṛṣis pour mantra-consecrated water in abhiṣeka over the honored figure, with ritual vessels, flowers, and sacred fire nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Gīrvāṇas)
• Vasiṣṭha
• Bṛhaspati (implied)
• Mantra
• Abhiṣeka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring the guru is a divine virtue; consecration becomes sacred when performed with mantra and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s dharmic atmosphere underlies the narrative that culminates in the Kāśī liṅga called Bṛhaspatīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guru-pūjā and abhiṣeka using mantra-purified water (mantra-pūta vāri).