Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

नागा वराकाश्चास्माकं सायंसायं स्वयं प्रभो । प्रदीपयंति सततं फणा रत्नप्रदीपकान्

Transliteration

nāgā varākāścāsmākaṃ sāyaṃsāyaṃ svayaṃ prabho | pradīpayaṃti satataṃ phaṇā ratnapradīpakān

Translation

また我らのつつましきナーガたちは、主よ、夕べごとに自ら、その頭巾の上に宝玉の灯明を絶えず灯します。

Word by Word

• नागाः: serpents (Nāgas)
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वराकाः: poor/wretched
• वराकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier of नागाः)

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

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम-रूप

• सायं-सायम्: every evening
• सायं-सायम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय) + सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb), पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• स्वयम्: themselves
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निजवाचक-अव्यय (reflexive/emphatic indeclinable)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रदीपयन्ति: light up/illuminate
• प्रदीपयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रदीपय् (धातु, णिजन्त/causative of दीप्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb of continuity)

• फणाः: hoods (of serpents)
• फणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रत्न-प्रदीपकान्: jewel-lamps
• रत्न-प्रदीपकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदीपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नस्य प्रदीपकः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At twilight in Kāśī, humble nāgas raise their jeweled hoods; each hood becomes a radiant lampstand, illuminating the Lord’s presence and the sacred precincts.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even beings considered lowly become luminous servants in a holy realm—devotion transforms and sanctifies all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, depicted as a city of ceaseless sacred illumination and service.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, dīpa-dāna (offering of lamps) is echoed through the imagery of continual lamp-lighting.