Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

देवताः समधिष्ठात्र्यः क्षेत्रस्यास्य परा इमाः । आराधिताः प्रयच्छंति नृभ्यो नैःश्रेयसीं श्रियम्

Transliteration

devatāḥ samadhiṣṭhātryaḥ kṣetrasyāsya parā imāḥ | ārādhitāḥ prayacchaṃti nṛbhyo naiḥśreyasīṃ śriyam

Translation

Ces divinités sublimes sont les puissances tutélaires de ce champ sacré. Lorsqu’on les adore, elles accordent aux humains une prospérité bénie qui mène au Bien suprême.

Word by Word

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• समधिष्ठात्र्यः: presiding (goddesses)
• समधिष्ठात्र्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-√अधि-स्था (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तृ-प्रत्ययान्त agent noun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘समधिष्ठात्री’ = presiding/overseeing

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पराः: supreme
• पराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक

• इमाः: these
• इमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आराधिताः: worshipped
• आराधिताः: Hetu/Condition (Cause/condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√राध् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘when worshipped’

• प्रयच्छन्ति: grant / bestow
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• नृभ्यः: to men / to people
• नृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), बहुवचन

• नैःश्रेयसीम्: leading to the highest good
• नैःश्रेयसीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘ultimate-good’ qualifying śriyam

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

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) presiding deities of the kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of luminous adhiṣṭhātrī-devatās hovering above their respective liṅga-shrines in Kāśī, extending boons to pilgrims with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Presiding deities of the kṣetra
• Kāśī/Avimukta (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places function through presiding divine powers; sincere worship in Kāśī yields both auspicious well-being and the trajectory toward ultimate liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a kṣetra governed by exalted presiding deities (kṣetra-devatās), in the context of the fourteen principal liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of the presiding deities/liṅgas is recommended as the means to obtain naiḥśreyasī śrī.