Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठेश्वरो र्च्यः प्रथमं काश्यां श्रेयोर्थिभिर्नरैः । ज्येष्ठागौरी ततोभ्यर्च्या सर्वज्येष्ठमभीप्सुभिः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭheśvaro rcyaḥ prathamaṃ kāśyāṃ śreyorthibhirnaraiḥ | jyeṣṭhāgaurī tatobhyarcyā sarvajyeṣṭhamabhīpsubhiḥ

Translation

In Kāśī, those who seek the highest good should first worship Jyeṣṭheśvara; thereafter they should worship Jyeṣṭhāgaurī—by which those who long for supreme excellence become foremost among the foremost.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठेश्वरः: Lord Jyeṣṭheśvara
• ज्येष्ठेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्येष्ठस्य ईश्वरः)

• अर्च्यः: to be worshipped
• अर्च्यः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय) → अर्च्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्; कर्मणि-भावे ‘पूजनीयः/अर्चनीयः’ (gerundive)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘प्रथमं/आदौ’

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म) (अर्थनाय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘अर्थिन्’ इत्यनेन सह समास-पूर्वपदभावः (श्रेयोर्थिन्)

• अर्थिभिः: by seekers
• अर्थिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता) (पूजायाम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘श्रेयोर्थिभिः’ = श्रेयः अर्थिभिः

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अर्थिभिः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/समुच्चय

• ज्येष्ठागौरी: Jyeṣṭhā-Gaurī
• ज्येष्ठागौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठा + गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (ज्येष्ठा च सा गौरी)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘तदनन्तरम्/ततः’

• अभ्यर्च्या: to be worshipped (reverently)
• अभ्यर्च्या: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु) + य (कृत्) → अभ्यर्च्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे ‘अभ्यर्चनीया/पूजनीया’ (gerundive)

• सर्वज्येष्ठम्: the supreme among all (the eldest/best)
• सर्वज्येष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (अभीप्सायाम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सर्वेषु ज्येष्ठम्’

• अभीप्सुभिः: by those desiring
• अभीप्सुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + ईप्स् (धातु) + उ (कृत्) → अभीप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि ‘इच्छद्भिः/कामयमानैः’ (present participial noun)

Speaker

Skanda (context of Kāśī Khaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭheśvara; Jyeṣṭhāgaurī (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame tradition) / audience of pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple in Kāśī offers flowers and bilva to a liṅga labeled Jyeṣṭheśvara, then turns toward a shrine of Jyeṣṭhāgaurī with lamps and red flowers; the ghāṭs and temple spires of Kāśī frame the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Jyeṣṭheśvara
• Jyeṣṭhāgaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, right order and devotion in worship—Śiva first, then Devī—leads seekers toward śreyas (the highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the shrine of Jyeṣṭheśvara and the worship of Jyeṣṭhāgaurī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed sequence of pūjā: first worship Jyeṣṭheśvara, then worship Jyeṣṭhāgaurī for attaining supreme excellence.