Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

योगक्षेमं सदा कुर्याद्भवानी काशिवासिनाम् । तस्माद्भवानी संसेव्या सततं काशिवासिभिः

Transliteration

yogakṣemaṃ sadā kuryādbhavānī kāśivāsinām | tasmādbhavānī saṃsevyā satataṃ kāśivāsibhiḥ

Translation

Bhavānī assure sans cesse le yoga-kṣema—bien-être et sauvegarde—à ceux qui demeurent à Kāśī. C’est pourquoi Bhavānī doit être honorée et servie continuellement par les habitants de Kāśī.

Word by Word

• योगक्षेमम्: welfare and security
• योगक्षेमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: योगश्च क्षेमश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; समाहारार्थे एकवचन)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कुर्यात्: should do / should provide
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: कृ (8/तनादि), अर्थे: करणे

• भवानी: Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• भवानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• काशिवासिनाम्: of the residents of Kāśī
• काशिवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समास: काश्यां वासिनः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; ‘residents in Kāśī’)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• भवानी: Bhavānī
• भवानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संसेव्या: is to be served
• संसेव्या: Kriya (Predicate as obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be served’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-; धातु: सेव् (1/भ्वादि)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial accusative)

• काशिवासिभिः: by the residents of Kāśī
• काशिवासिभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समास: काश्यां वासिभिः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhavānī as Annapūrṇā/Durgā-like presence in Kāśī, extending a protective hand over pilgrims and residents; the city’s ghāṭas and temples glow under her guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Bhavānī
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life in a sacred place is sustained by divine grace; gratitude is expressed through continual devotional service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a divine-protected sacred residence (kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ongoing devotion and service (sevanā) to Bhavānī by Kāśī’s residents.