Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

तेषु राज्यं विनिक्षिप्य प्राप्य वाराणसीं पुरीम् । विश्वेश्वरं समाराध्य निर्वाणपदमीयिवान्

Transliteration

teṣu rājyaṃ vinikṣipya prāpya vārāṇasīṃ purīm | viśveśvaraṃ samārādhya nirvāṇapadamīyivān

Translation

Ayant confié le royaume à eux (ses fils), il parvint à la cité de Vārāṇasī ; après avoir vénéré Viśveśvara, il atteignit l’état de Nirvāṇa.

Word by Word

• तेषु: among them / to them
• तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to sons/descendants)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• विनिक्षिप्य: having entrusted
• विनिक्षिप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): “having deposited/entrusted”

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): “having reached”

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object of प्राप्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (to वाराणसीम्)

• विश्वेश्वरम्: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश्वरम्: Karma (Object of समाराध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• समाराध्य: having worshipped
• समाराध्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): “having worshipped/propitiated”

• निर्वाणपदम्: the state/abode of nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणपदम्: Karma (Object of main verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य पदम्)

• ईयिवान्: attained, went to
• ईयिवान्: Karta (Predicate participle of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; अर्थः—“गतवान्/प्राप्तवान्” (having gone/attained)

Speaker

Maitrāvaruṇi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) – Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lopāmudrā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged yet radiant devotee entrusts his kingdom to his sons, journeys to Vārāṇasī, stands before Viśveśvara in the sanctum with lamps and bilva leaves, and dissolves into serene liberation—Ganga and ghats faintly present as sacred backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Viśveśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder duties culminate in renunciation and pilgrimage: surrendering worldly power and worshipping Viśveśvara in Kāśī leads to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), especially the shrine of Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana (devout worship) of Viśveśvara after coming to Kāśī.