Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

स्वर्गद्वारात्पुरोभागे देवनद्याश्च पश्चिमे । सौभाग्यभाग्यैकनिधिः काचिदेका महास्थली

Transliteration

svargadvārātpurobhāge devanadyāśca paścime | saubhāgyabhāgyaikanidhiḥ kācidekā mahāsthalī

Translation

Devant Svargadvāra et à l’ouest du fleuve divin se trouve un unique grand lieu sacré, trésor incomparable d’auspice et de bonne fortune.

Word by Word

• स्वर्गद्वारात्: from the gate of heaven
• स्वर्गद्वारात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of heaven’ + ‘gate’)

• पुरोभागे: in the front part
• पुरोभागे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• देवनद्याः: of the divine river
• देवनद्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पश्चिमे: to the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (दिशि/प्रदेशे)

• सौभाग्यभाग्यैकनिधिः: a unique treasure of auspiciousness and fortune
• सौभाग्यभाग्यैकनिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘a single treasure of good fortune and destiny’)

• काचित्: some
• काचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा (indefinite pronoun: ‘some’)

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महास्थली: a great sacred spot
• महास्थली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘great’ + ‘ground/place’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadvāra–Maṇikarṇikā mahāsthalī (described locus)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cartographic-ritual scene: pilgrims at the Gaṅgā’s western bank, with a visible marker ‘Svargadvāra’ and a highlighted sacred ground (mahāsthalī) glowing as a ‘treasury’ of auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Svargadvāra
• Devanadī (Gaṅgā)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a specific zone of Kāśī as uniquely blessed, emphasizing the purāṇic idea that sacred geography concentrates spiritual fortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the great sacred area near Svargadvāra and west of the Gaṅgā—contextually, the Maṇikarṇikā region in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as a directional/locational praise (sthala-nirdeśa) for pilgrims.