Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं यो वसेत्कृतनिश्चयः । तं तारयति विश्वेशो जीवंतमथवा मृतम्

Transliteration

jñātvā kṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ yo vasetkṛtaniścayaḥ | taṃ tārayati viśveśo jīvaṃtamathavā mṛtam

Translation

Quien, conociendo la grandeza de este campo sagrado, habita aquí con firme determinación—Viśveśa lo salva, esté vivo o muerto.

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter; Gen sg)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter; Acc sg)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nom sg; relative pronoun)

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative; 3rd sg)

• कृतनिश्चयः: firmly resolved
• कृतनिश्चयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त) + निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nom sg); कर्मधारय (कृतः निश्चयः यस्य = one whose resolve is made/firm)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Acc sg)

• तारयति: saves, delivers
• तारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (Present indicative; 3rd sg; causative: “causes to cross/saves”)

• विश्वेशः: Viśveśa (Śiva)
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nom sg)

• जीवन्तम्: living
• जीवन्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त; √जीव् (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Acc sg; present participle used adjectivally)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive: “or”)

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Acc sg; past participle used adjectivally)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (Viśveśa’s kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee settles in Kāśī with a staff and waterpot, gazing at Viśveśvara’s shrine; above, Viśveśa is depicted as a protective, guiding presence leading the soul across a symbolic river of saṁsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa/Viśveśvara
• Kāśī-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing Kāśī’s glory and living there with resolve brings Śiva’s saving grace—liberation is attributed to Viśveśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra (Vārāṇasī), under Viśveśvara, presented as a mokṣa-bestowing sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is devotional residence (vāsa) in Kāśī with firm niścaya (resolve), grounded in understanding the kṣetra’s māhātmya.