Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

चक्रवर्तेरियं छत्रं विचित्रं सर्वतापहृत् । काशीनिर्वाणराजस्य ममशूलोच्च दंडवत्

Transliteration

cakravarteriyaṃ chatraṃ vicitraṃ sarvatāpahṛt | kāśīnirvāṇarājasya mamaśūlocca daṃḍavat

Translation

This wondrous parasol of the cakravartin removes every affliction; for Kāśī, the King of Nirvāṇa, it stands like a staff raised on high, like My trident.

Word by Word

• चक्रवर्तेः: of the universal monarch
• चक्रवर्तेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• छत्रम्: umbrella, royal parasol
• छत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विचित्रम्: wonderful, variegated
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्व-ताप-हृत्: removing all afflictions
• सर्व-ताप-हृत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √हृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वान् तापान् हरति इति)

• काशी-निर्वाण-राजस्य: of the king of liberation in Kāśī
• काशी-निर्वाण-राजस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (काश्यां निर्वाणस्य राजा)

• मम: my, of me
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• शूल-उच्च: lofty like a trident
• शूल-उच्च: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शूलवत् उच्चम्)

• दण्डवत्: like a staff; straight/upright
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त-प्रयोगः)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable of manner: like a staff)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced; 'mama śūla' indicates Śiva speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Nirvāṇa-rāja-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis in the Kāśī-māhātmya narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic royal parasol hovering over Kāśī, radiating protection; beneath it, the city shines as the ‘nirvāṇa-rājya’. A towering trident-staff rises like a standard, dispelling heat and sorrow from all directions.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva (Śūla/trident)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as sovereign among liberating places, sheltering devotees and dispelling suffering under Śiva’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi), titled the ‘King of Liberation’ within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse is a stuti that encourages seeking Kāśī’s protective shelter through devotion and pilgrimage.