Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सीमंतिनीभिः पुंभिर्वा परं निर्वाणमिच्छुभिः । श्रुता दृष्टार्चिता काश्यां विशालाक्ष्यभिलाषदा

Transliteration

sīmaṃtinībhiḥ puṃbhirvā paraṃ nirvāṇamicchubhiḥ | śrutā dṛṣṭārcitā kāśyāṃ viśālākṣyabhilāṣadā

Translation

By married women and by men as well—by those who desire the supreme nirvāṇa—Viśālākṣī in Kāśī, when heard of, seen, and worshipped, grants the cherished aim.

Word by Word

• सीमंतिनीभिः: by married women
• सीमंतिनीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sīmaṃtinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुंभिः: by men
• पुंभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘निर्वाणम्’ इति विशेषण

• निर्वाणम्: nirvāṇa; final liberation
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इच्छुभिः: by those desiring
• इच्छुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √iṣ (इष् धातु) + u (उ-प्रत्यय; इच्छु)
• Form: कृदन्त (उ-प्रत्ययान्त, desiderative agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘इच्छन्ति ये’

• श्रुता: (she) having been heard of
• श्रुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु) + ta (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (देवी) ‘heard of’

• दृष्ट-अर्चिता: seen and worshipped
• दृष्ट-अर्चिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) + ta (क्त) + √arc (अर्च्) + ita (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-द्वन्द्व (दृष्टा च अर्चिता च), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• विशालाक्ष्यभिलाषदा: granting the desired wish (connected with Viśālākṣī)
• विशालाक्ष्यभिलाषदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśālākṣī + abhilāṣa + dā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विशालाक्ष्याः अभिलाषं ददाति’ (giver of the desired boon of Viśālākṣī / giver of desires regarding Viśālākṣī)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśālākṣī-sthāna (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in Kāśī: a married woman and a male ascetic/devotee listen to the māhātmya, then approach Viśālākṣī for darśana and worship; the goddess’s blessing culminates in a serene aura of nirvāṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viśālākṣī
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the classic triad—hearing, seeing, and worshipping—becomes a complete liberative path when centered on the sacred presence in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically Viśālākṣī’s locus of darśana and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing her māhātmya), darśana (seeing), and arcana (worship) of Viśālākṣī in Kāśī for those seeking nirvāṇa.