Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नीराजितमिवोद्दीपैराजचंपककोरकैः । सपुष्पशाल्मलीभिश्च जितपद्माकरश्रियम्

Transliteration

nīrājitamivoddīpairājacaṃpakakorakaiḥ | sapuṣpaśālmalībhiśca jitapadmākaraśriyam

Translation

On eût dit qu’il était honoré par des lampes éclatantes — les boutons flamboyants du campaka royal; et, grâce aux śālmalī en fleurs, il surpassait la splendeur des étangs de lotus.

Word by Word

• नीराजितम्: adorned, made splendid
• नीराजितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी-राज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (adorned/illuminated)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक

• उद्दीपैः: with brightening (buds)
• उद्दीपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण; (उद्दीप = kindling/brightening agent; here buds as illuminators)

• राज-चंपक-कोरकैः: with buds of royal champaka
• राज-चंपक-कोरकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + चंपक (प्रातिपदिक) + कोरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण; ‘राजचंपक’ = royal champaka; ‘कोरक’ = bud

• स-पुष्प-शाल्मलीभिः: with flowering śālmalī trees
• स-पुष्प-शाल्मलीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् ‘with’) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण; ‘सपुष्प’ = with flowers

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• जित-पद्माकर-श्रियम्: surpassing the beauty of a lotus-lake
• जित-पद्माकर-श्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + पद्माकर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘जित’ = surpassed; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (whose beauty surpasses that of a lotus-lake)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṅgā-ghāṭa ārati ambience; general)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twilight or early dawn on the ghats: campaka buds glow like rows of lamps; flowering śālmalī trees blaze with color; the whole scene outshines a lotus lake, suggesting a grand natural ārati.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Campaka
• Śālmalī
• Padmākara (lotus-lake)
• Nīrājana (ārati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a tīrtha like Kāśī, nature itself becomes worship—beauty is framed as continuous devotion (nīrājana) to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as more splendid than even lotus-filled waterscapes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct instruction, but the verse evokes nīrājana (lamp-worship) as a sacred analogy.