Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गोपीप्रियाय केशिघ्ने गोवर्धनधराय च । रामाय रघुनाथाय राघवाय नमोनमः

Transliteration

gopīpriyāya keśighne govardhanadharāya ca | rāmāya raghunāthāya rāghavāya namonamaḥ

Translation

Homage again and again to the Beloved of the Gopīs, the slayer of Keśī, and the lifter of Govardhana—homage to Rāma, to Raghu’s Lord, to Rāghava.

Word by Word

• गोपीप्रियाय: to the beloved of the gopīs
• गोपीप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोपीनां प्रियः)

• केशिघ्ने: to the slayer of Keśin
• केशिघ्ने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् + √हन् (धातु) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (घ्न-प्रत्ययान्त, हन्ता-अर्थे); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (केशिनं हन्ति)

• गोवर्धनधराय: to the lifter of Govardhana
• गोवर्धनधराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवर्धन + धर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोवर्धनं धरति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• रामाय: to Rāma
• रामाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• रघुनाथाय: to the lord of the Raghu line
• रघुनाथाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + नाथ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रघोः नाथः)

• राघवाय: to Rāghava
• राघवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• नमः: salutation again
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-नमस्कार (repeated salutation)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī) as a ‘sarva-tīrtha’ through smaraṇa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite vision: Kṛṣṇa adored by gopīs, Keśī demon fallen, Govardhana lifted on the little finger; seamlessly transitioning to Rāma with bow, embodying royal dharma—both receiving repeated salutations.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs
• Keśī
• Govardhana
• Rāma
• Raghu
• Rāghava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The One Supreme is praised through many avatāra-deeds; remembering them cultivates surrender and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the verse functions as devotional praise within Kāśī’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the devotional act is repeated namaskāra and nāma-japa (namo namaḥ).