Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

क्षेमकं पूजयेद्यस्तु वाराणस्यां महागणम् । विघ्नास्तस्य प्रलीयंते क्षेमं स्याच्च पदेपदे

Transliteration

kṣemakaṃ pūjayedyastu vārāṇasyāṃ mahāgaṇam | vighnāstasya pralīyaṃte kṣemaṃ syācca padepade

Translation

जो वाराणसी में महागण क्षेमक की पूजा करता है, उसके विघ्न नष्ट हो जाते हैं और हर कदम पर कल्याण होता है।

Word by Word

• क्षेमकम्: Kṣemaka (name of deity)
• क्षेमकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः—यः…तस्य)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• महागणम्: the great Gaṇa (attendant deity)
• महागणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागण (प्रातिपदिक: महा + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• विघ्नाः: obstacles
• विघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रलीयन्ते: dissolve/vanish
• प्रलीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• क्षेमम्: welfare/safety
• क्षेमम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति—पदे पदे = प्रत्येकपदे)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣemaka-gaṇa-sthāna (within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers flowers and incense to Kṣemaka, a benevolent gaṇa attendant of Śiva, while the city’s ghāṭs and temple spires frame the background; obstacles symbolically dissolve like mist.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣemaka
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, devotion expressed through worship of the divine Gaṇas grants protection and removes impediments on the path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), praised as a place where even ancillary deities (Gaṇas) bestow swift auspicious results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kṣemaka Gaṇa in Vārāṇasī for the dissolution of obstacles and attainment of kṣema (well-being).