Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तत्पार्श्वतो हि शाखेशो विशाखेशश्च तत्र वै । नैगमेयेश्वरस्तत्र येन्ये नंद्यादयो गणाः

Transliteration

tatpārśvato hi śākheśo viśākheśaśca tatra vai | naigameyeśvarastatra yenye naṃdyādayo gaṇāḥ

Translation

De part et d’autre de ce lieu sacré se tiennent Śākheśa et Viśākheśa ; et là se trouve aussi Naigameyeśvara, avec les autres gaṇas tels que Nandī et leurs compagnons.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम्; (genitive singular neuter)

• पार्श्वतः: at the side (nearby)
• पार्श्वतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial: 'from/at the side of')

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• शाखेशः: Lord of Śākhā (Śākheśa)
• शाखेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाखायाः ईशः)

• विशाखेशः: Lord of Viśākhā (Viśākheśa)
• विशाखेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विशाखायाः ईशः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नैगमेयेश्वरः: Lord Naigameya (Naigameyeśvara)
• नैगमेयेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैगमेय (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नैगमेयस्य ईश्वरः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative pronoun)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नन्द्यादयः: Nandi and others
• नन्द्यादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहारार्थे 'आदि' (nandy-ādayaḥ = Nandi and others)

• गणाः: groups/attendants
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākheśa–Viśākheśa–Naigameyeśvara (gaṇa-liṅga cluster)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred Kāśī lane/precinct with a central shrine implied, flanked by two small liṅga-shrines labeled Śākheśa and Viśākheśa; nearby a third shrine Naigameyeśvara; gaṇas like Nandī present as stone icons and subtle divine attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śākheśa
• Viśākheśa
• Naigameyeśvara
• Nandī
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as protected and sanctified by Śiva’s forms and attendants, making the whole region a living field of Śaiva grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Kāśī sacred zone marked by the liṅgas Śākheśa, Viśākheśa, and Naigameyeśvara, attended by Nandī and other gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse primarily identifies the presiding liṅgas and Śiva’s gaṇas associated with the place.