Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दृशोरतिथितां नीत्वा विष्णुर्वाराणसीं ततः । पुंडरीकाक्ष इत्याख्यां सफलीकृतवान्मुदा

Transliteration

dṛśoratithitāṃ nītvā viṣṇurvārāṇasīṃ tataḥ | puṃḍarīkākṣa ityākhyāṃ saphalīkṛtavānmudā

Translation

Then Viṣṇu, making Vārāṇasī a “guest” to his eyes by beholding her, joyfully rendered the epithet “Puṇḍarīkākṣa” truly fulfilled and meaningful.

Word by Word

• दृशोः: of the two eyes
• दृशोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; 'of (his) two eyes'

• अतिथिताम्: the state of being a guest
• अतिथिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक

• नीत्वा: having brought
• नीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय — 'having led/brought'

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाराणसीम्: to Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Gati-karma (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• पुण्डरीकाक्ष: Lotus-eyed (Viṣṇu)
• पुण्डरीकाक्ष: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-रूप, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: पुण्डरीक इव अक्षिणी यस्य (lotus-eyed)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आख्याम्: the name/appellation
• आख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सफलीकृतवान्: made (it) fruitful/fulfilled
• सफलीकृतवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स-फली-कृ (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (परिप्रयोगे भूतार्थ) — 'has made fruitful'

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/भावे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Puṇḍarīkākṣa) gazes upon Vārāṇasī; the city appears like a radiant guest entering his eyes—lotus motifs, shimmering ghāṭs, and a joyful, fulfilled expression.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (holy seeing) of Kāśī is itself a sanctifying encounter, bringing joy and spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, praised as a sacred vision worthy of reverent beholding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, Kāśī-darśana—reverently beholding the holy city as a devotional act.