Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

न गायत्री समो मंत्रो न काशी सदृशी पुरी । न विश्वेश समं लिंगं सत्यंसत्यं पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

na gāyatrī samo maṃtro na kāśī sadṛśī purī | na viśveśa samaṃ liṃgaṃ satyaṃsatyaṃ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

Aucun mantra n’égale la Gāyatrī ; nulle cité ne ressemble à Kāśī ; nul liṅga n’est égal à Viśveśa : c’est vérité, vérité, encore et encore.

Word by Word

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• samaḥ: equal
• samaḥ: Visheshana (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (सम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• mantraḥ: mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (मन्त्र; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karta (Subject/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (काशी; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sadṛśī: similar/equal
• sadṛśī: Visheshana (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśī (सदृश; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• purī: city
• purī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (पुरी; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• viśveśa: O Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśa: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva-īśa (विश्व + ईश; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8th/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• samam: equal
• samam: Visheshana (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (सम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (लिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (content of assertion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (सत्य; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as emphatic assertion

• satyam: truth (indeed)
• satyam: Karma (content of assertion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (सत्य; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-vishesana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'again'

• punaḥ: again and again
• punaḥ: Kriya-vishesana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): repetition for emphasis

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A three-panel sacred tableau: left—Gāyatrī as a radiant mantra-lotus; center—Kāśī as a golden city on the Gaṅgā; right—Viśveśvara liṅga blazing with Śiva-tejas. A banner-like inscription repeats ‘satyam satyam’ as a seal of certainty.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It establishes spiritual superlatives: supreme mantra (Gāyatrī), supreme sacred city (Kāśī), and supreme liṅga (Viśveśa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially the Viśveśa/Viśvanātha Liṅga (Kashi Vishwanath).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse functions as a mahātmya proclamation encouraging devotion to Viśveśa and Gāyatrī practice in Kāśī.