Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

केशवाय नमस्तुभ्यं मायिने ब्रह्मागायिने । तपोरूपाय तपसां नमस्ते फलदायिने

Transliteration

keśavāya namastubhyaṃ māyine brahmāgāyine | taporūpāya tapasāṃ namaste phaladāyine

Translation

Salutations to You, Keśava—wielder of divine māyā, praised even by Brahmā. Salutations to You who are the very form of austerity, and the giver of the fruits of all tapas.

Word by Word

• केशवाय: to Keśava
• केशवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• मायिने: to the possessor of māyā
• मायिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; -इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• ब्रह्मागायिने: to the singer/praiser of Brahman
• ब्रह्मागायिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + गायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; ब्रह्मागायिन् = ब्रह्मणः गायी (singer/praiser of Brahman)

• तपोरूपाय: to the one whose form is tapas
• तपोरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तपोरूप = तपः-रूपः (whose form is austerity)

• तपसाम्: of austerities
• तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन (एतद्रूपेण ‘to you’)

• फलदायिने: to the giver of results
• फलदायिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; फलदायिन् = फलस्य दाता (giver of fruits/results)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava appears as luminous Lord granting fruits of tapas; ascetics on the Gaṅgā ghāṭa perform japa and homa, while Brahmā is shown in the background offering praise.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Māyā
• Brahmā
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All spiritual effort (tapas) bears fruit through divine grace; the Lord is both the power behind austerity and its reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where devotion and disciplined practice are said to yield swift spiritual benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; it supports tapas (austerity) and stuti (praise) as meritorious disciplines.