Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

प्रतीच्यांगोपिगोविंदाद्भ्राम्यच्चक्रोच्च तर्जनीम् । नारायणीं यः प्रणमेत्तस्य काश्यां महोदयः

Transliteration

pratīcyāṃgopigoviṃdādbhrāmyaccakrocca tarjanīm | nārāyaṇīṃ yaḥ praṇamettasya kāśyāṃ mahodayaḥ

Translation

To the west of Gopīgovinda is Nārāyaṇī, with her discus whirling and her forefinger raised. Whoever bows to her attains great exaltation and flourishing in Kāśī.

Word by Word

• pratīcyām: in the west
• pratīcyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Feminine Locative Singular

• aṅgopī-govindāt: from (the shrine of) Aṅgopī and Govinda
• aṅgopī-govindāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgopī (प्रातिपदिक) + govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Masculine Ablative Singular; द्वन्द्वसमासः (aṅgopī + govinda)

• bhrāmyat: whirling/spinning
• bhrāmyat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhram (भ्रम्) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ) — Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular, present active participle (used adjectivally)

• cakra: discus
• cakra: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular

• ucca: high/aloft
• ucca: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ucca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषणम् — Indeclinable adverb

• tarjanīm: (with) the index finger (gesture)
• tarjanīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarjanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Feminine Accusative Singular

• nārāyaṇīm: Nārāyaṇī
• nārāyaṇīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Feminine Accusative Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम — Masculine Nominative Singular (relative pronoun)

• praṇamet: should bow to
• praṇamet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (नम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — Optative, Active, 3rd person singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम — Masculine Genitive Singular

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Feminine Locative Singular

• mahā-udayaḥ: great prosperity/benefit
• mahā-udayaḥ: Karta/Phala (Result as subject/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — Masculine Nominative Singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārāyaṇī (west of Gopīgovinda)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇī stands near Gopīgovinda’s western side, Sudarśana-cakra whirling, forefinger raised in admonishing/protective gesture, granting mahodaya to the bowing devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīgovinda
• Nārāyaṇī
• Cakra
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a simple act of reverent praṇāma at the right sacred locus in Kāśī is said to elevate the devotee and bring auspicious rise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western side of the Gopīgovinda area in Kāśī, where Nārāyaṇī is to be saluted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (bowing/salutation) to Nārāyaṇī for attaining mahodaya (great uplift) in Kāśī.