Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

विश्वा सौभाग्यगौरी च सृष्टाः प्राच्यादिमध्यतः । एता यत्नेन संपूज्याः क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः

Transliteration

viśvā saubhāgyagaurī ca sṛṣṭāḥ prācyādimadhyataḥ | etā yatnena saṃpūjyāḥ kṣetrarakṣaṇadevatāḥ

Translation

Viśvā et Saubhāgyagaurī se manifestèrent depuis la région centrale, en commençant par l’orient. Ces divinités, protectrices du saint kṣetra, doivent être honorées avec un soin fervent.

Word by Word

• विश्वा: all-pervading / universal
• विश्वा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवताः/शक्तयः)

• सौभाग्यगौरी: Saubhāgya-Gaurī (a form/name)
• सौभाग्यगौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम); कर्मधारयः—'सौभाग्यरूपा गौरी'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (created)

• प्राच्यादिमध्यतः: from the middle starting with the east
• प्राच्यादिमध्यतः: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (from the middle beginning with the east)

• एताः: these (goddesses)
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संपूज्याः: are to be worshipped
• संपूज्याः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (to be worshipped)

• क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः: deities for protecting the sacred area
• क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः: Samana-adhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य रक्षणस्य देवताः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśvā & Saubhāgyagaurī guardians)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two luminous goddesses—Viśvā (universal radiance) and Saubhāgyagaurī (golden auspicious Gaurī)—appear as emanations aligned from the eastern direction toward the center; pilgrims offer flowers and lamps, acknowledging them as protectors of the field.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvā
• Saubhāgyagaurī
• Kāśī-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is upheld by a living network of protective divinities; reverence to them sustains harmony with the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra, described as guarded by kṣetra-rakṣaṇa devatās arranged with directional symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the kṣetra-protecting deities (including Viśvā and Saubhāgyagaurī) with deliberate effort.