Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गोविंदचरणार्थार्चां तत्प्रियंकर्मवै विना । शंखचक्रांकितौ तस्य नान्यकर्मकरौकरौ

Transliteration

goviṃdacaraṇārthārcāṃ tatpriyaṃkarmavai vinā | śaṃkhacakrāṃkitau tasya nānyakarmakaraukarau

Translation

Apart from worship offered for the sake of Govinda’s feet, and apart from deeds dear to Him, his hands—marked with conch and discus—perform no other actions.

Word by Word

• गोविन्दचरणार्थार्चाम्: worship for the sake of Govinda’s feet
• गोविन्दचरणार्थार्चाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govinda + caraṇa + artha + arcā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (गोविन्द-चरण-अर्थे arcā)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम—‘that’ (तस्य)

• प्रियम्: dear, pleasing
• प्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्म: act, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• विना: without, except
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वर्जने (without/except)

• शङ्खचक्राङ्कितौ: marked with conch and discus
• शङ्खचक्राङ्कितौ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkha + cakra + aṅkita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (शङ्ख-चक्रेण अङ्कितौ)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अन्य: other
• अन्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘other’

• कर्मकरौ: doers of action; workers
• कर्मकरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karmakara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्म करोति इति)

• करौ: two hands
• करौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee’s hands, bearing conch-and-discus marks, offer flowers and water at Govinda’s feet; nearby, acts of service—lighting lamps, feeding pilgrims—are shown as extensions of worship in Kāśī’s temple-ghāṭ environment.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrate action: the devotee’s work becomes worship when directed toward the Lord’s feet and what pleases Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered nāma and bhakti praise, though it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcā (ritual worship) of Govinda’s feet and performing tat-priya-karman (deeds pleasing to the Lord) are explicitly highlighted.