Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

यस्यार्चनाल्लभेज्जंतुः प्रियत्वं सर्वजन्तुषु । इदमायतनं श्रेष्ठं मणिमाणिक्यनिर्मितम्

Transliteration

yasyārcanāllabhejjaṃtuḥ priyatvaṃ sarvajantuṣu | idamāyatanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ maṇimāṇikyanirmitam

Translation

Par son culte, un être obtient d’être aimé parmi tous les êtres. Ce sanctuaire est suprême, façonné de gemmes et de joyaux précieux.

Word by Word

• यस्य: of whom; whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• अर्चनात्: from worship
• अर्चनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जन्तुः: a creature; being
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रियत्वम्: dearness; being beloved
• प्रियत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रियत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वजन्तुषु: among all beings
• सर्वजन्तुषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयवत्/तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे जन्तवः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘आयतनम्’ इति विशेषण

• आयतनम्: abode; shrine
• आयतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent; best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘आयतनम्’ इति विशेषण

• मणिमाणिक्यनिर्मितम्: made of gems and rubies
• मणिमाणिक्यनिर्मितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि-माणिक्य-निर्मित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मणिमाणिक्यैः निर्मितम्); ‘निर्मित’ = कृदन्त (नि+मा धातु, क्त)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sanctum whose walls and pillars shimmer like inlaid gems; the deity’s presence makes animals and humans alike gentle and affectionate toward the worshipper; garlands and lamps reflect off jewel surfaces.

Characters & Entities

• Āyatana (shrine)
• Arcana (worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent worship at a praised Kāśī shrine yields both social harmony (being beloved) and spiritual uplift through sacred proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific ‘āyatana’ (sanctuary) in the Adhyāya 33 sacred circuit; the verse emphasizes its excellence and jeweled construction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) is the stated practice, presented as the means to obtain the described fruit.