Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यत्रास्ते श्रीपतिः साक्षात्सर्वेषामभयप्रदः । ततस्तु षोडशगुणः कैलासोऽस्ति शिवालयः

Transliteration

yatrāste śrīpatiḥ sākṣātsarveṣāmabhayapradaḥ | tatastu ṣoḍaśaguṇaḥ kailāso'sti śivālayaḥ

Translation

Là demeure en personne Śrīpati (Viṣṇu), dispensateur d’intrépidité à tous. Au-delà, seize fois plus haut, se trouve Kailāsa, la demeure de Śiva.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• आस्ते: dwells; sits
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्रीपतिः: Lord of Śrī (Viṣṇu)
• श्रीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्रियाः पतिः)

• साक्षात्: directly; in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: directly, manifestly)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अभयप्रदः: giver of fearlessness
• अभयप्रदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (अभयं प्रददाति इति)

• ततः: from that; thereafter
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from there/thereafter)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• षोडशगुणः: sixteenfold
• षोडशगुणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (षोडश गुणाः यस्य)

• कैलासः: Kailāsa
• कैलासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिवालयः: abode of Śiva
• शिवालयः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आलयः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (as Śiva-dhāma) / Vaikuṇṭha (as Viṣṇu-dhāma)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience within the text (general)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-tier celestial tableau: Vaikuṇṭha with Śrīpati radiating ‘abhaya’, and above it the snow-bright Kailāsa peak as Śiva’s luminous abode.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)
• Kailāsa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a graded sacred cosmos while affirming divine protection (abhaya) and the exalted status of Śiva’s Kailāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is highlighted as Śiva’s supreme abode; within the Kāśī narrative, this supports the greatness of Śiva-centered liberation theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the focus is on theological geography and divine abodes.