Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यो न विश्वभुजां देवीं वाराणस्यां नमेन्नरः । कुतो महोपसर्गेभ्यस्तस्य शांतिर्दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

yo na viśvabhujāṃ devīṃ vārāṇasyāṃ namennaraḥ | kuto mahopasargebhyastasya śāṃtirdurātmanaḥ

Translation

If a man in Vārāṇasī does not bow to Goddess Viśvabhujā, how could that misguided soul find peace from great calamities and afflictions?

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• विश्वभुजाम्: (the) Viśvabhujā (name/epithet)
• विश्वभुजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद-विशेषण (epithet)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• नमेत्: should bow (to)
• नमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुतः: how then?/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'whence/how then')

• महोपसर्गेभ्यः: from great calamities/afflictions
• महोपसर्गेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; अपादान (ablative: 'from')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• शान्तिः: peace
• शान्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दुरात्मनः: of the evil-minded one
• दुरात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvabhujā Devī shrine (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī bows with folded hands before Viśvabhujā Devī’s shrine; behind, the sacred city’s lanes and lamps suggest the protective presence of the Goddess against looming calamities.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvabhujā
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of the kṣetra’s presiding Goddess is portrayed as spiritual negligence that leaves one vulnerable to turmoil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), where Viśvabhujā Devī is to be revered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing/prostration) to Viśvabhujā Devī in Vārāṇasī.