Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

उपसर्गानमूर्घ्नंति दद्युर्नैःश्रेयसीं श्रियम् । स्मृता दृष्टा न ताः स्पृष्टाः पूजिताः श्रद्धया नरैः

Transliteration

upasargānamūrghnaṃti dadyurnaiḥśreyasīṃ śriyam | smṛtā dṛṣṭā na tāḥ spṛṣṭāḥ pūjitāḥ śraddhayā naraiḥ

Translation

Elles anéantissent les calamités et accordent la prospérité bénie qui mène au bien suprême. Évoquées, vues et vénérées avec foi par les hommes—sans même être touchées—elles répandent leur grâce.

Word by Word

• उपसर्गान्: calamities/afflictions
• उपसर्गान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अमूर्घ्नन्ति: they ward off
• अमूर्घ्नन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मूर्घ्/मूर्घ्न् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘they ward off/drive away’

• दद्युः: they should give / may grant
• दद्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नैःश्रेयसीम्: supremely beneficial
• नैःश्रेयसीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक) → नैःश्रेयसी (स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘leading to highest good’

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्मृताः: remembered
• स्मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘remembered’ (of the goddesses)

• दृष्टाः: seen
• दृष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘seen’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• ताः: they (those)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्पृष्टाः: touched
• स्पृष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘touched’

• पूजिताः: worshipped
• पूजिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘worshipped’

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘with faith’

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-कारक (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a respectful distance from a shrine, hands folded, eyes fixed in darśana; a subtle aura from the devīs dispels dark clouds symbolizing calamities; prosperity depicted as a gentle light leading upward (naiḥśreyasa).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)
• The three goddesses (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, even remembrance and darśana of the deity—when joined with śraddhā—are taught to be spiritually efficacious and protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra setting where darśana and worship of local goddess-forms remove afflictions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (remembrance), darśana (seeing), and śraddhā-yukta pūjā (faithful worship) are highlighted as effective practices.