Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अशेषगुणनिर्माण गुणातीत गुणाग्रणी । परिपूर्णचरित्रार्थ जय त्वं गुणवर्णित

Transliteration

aśeṣaguṇanirmāṇa guṇātīta guṇāgraṇī | paripūrṇacaritrārtha jaya tvaṃ guṇavarṇita

Translation

Victory to You, the source from whom all virtues arise—yet You transcend all guṇas and stand foremost among the virtuous. Your sacred deeds are wholly complete in purpose; victory to You, praised through the language of virtues.

Word by Word

• अशेष-गुण-निर्माण: source of all qualities
• अशेष-गुण-निर्माण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्माण (नि+मा धातु + ल्युट्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘अशेषान् गुणान् निर्माति’ (creator/source of all qualities)

• गुण-अतीत: beyond the guṇas
• गुण-अतीत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (अति+इ धातु + क्त)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (in address); ‘गुणान् अतीतः’ (beyond qualities)

• गुण-अग्रणी: foremost in excellence
• गुण-अग्रणी: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘गुणेषु अग्रणीः’ (foremost among the virtuous/qualities)

• परिपूर्ण-चरित्र-अर्थ: whose character/purpose is perfectly fulfilled
• परिपूर्ण-चरित्र-अर्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिपूर्ण (परि+पॄ धातु + क्त) + चरित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (addressed); ‘परिपूर्णं चरित्रं यस्य अर्थः/प्रयोजनम्’ (whose life-purpose/meaning is fully accomplished; or whose character is perfectly meaningful)

• जय: hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (2nd person pronoun)

• गुण-वर्णित: praised for (your) qualities
• गुण-वर्णित: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णित (वर्ण् धातु + क्त)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (in address/description); ‘गुणैः वर्णितः’ (praised/described with qualities)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene depiction of the deity in Kāśī: half the canvas shows attribute-rich iconography (mūrti, ornaments), while the other half dissolves into luminous formlessness, symbolizing guṇātīta transcendence; devotees praise with virtue-language.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine can be praised through virtues while ultimately transcending all limiting qualities—devotion bridges both.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred setting; the verse supports the Mahātmya tone of worship within Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it is a contemplative praise suitable for japa/stotra recitation.