Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ज्योतिश्चक्रे समस्तेऽस्मिन्नग्रगण्या भविष्यथ । मेषादीनां च राशीनां योनयो यूयमुत्तमाः

Transliteration

jyotiścakre samaste'sminnagragaṇyā bhaviṣyatha | meṣādīnāṃ ca rāśīnāṃ yonayo yūyamuttamāḥ

Translation

ഈ സമസ്ത ജ്യോതിചക്രത്തിൽ നിങ്ങൾ അഗ്രഗണ്യരായി എണ്ണപ്പെടും; മേഷാദി രാശികളുടെ നിങ്ങൾ തന്നെ ഉത്തമ യോനികൾ—ഉദ്ഭവത്തിന്റെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ഉറവുകൾ—ആകും.

Word by Word

• ज्योतिःचक्रे: in the circle of lights (zodiacal wheel)
• ज्योतिःचक्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्योतिषां चक्रम्)

• समस्ते: in the entire/complete (one)
• समस्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्योतिश्चक्रे)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रगण्याः: foremost, pre-eminent
• अग्रगण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्रगण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यूयम्)

• भविष्यथ: you will be
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मेषादीनाम्: of Aries and the others
• मेषादीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मेषः आदिः येषाम्)

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

• राशीनाम्: of the zodiac-signs
• राशीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• योनयः: origins, wombs, sources
• योनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• यूयम्: you
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• उत्तमाः: excellent, best
• उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यूयम्/योनयः)

Speaker

Bhagavad-gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants), addressing the Nakṣatras (star-deities)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial wheel (jyotiścakra) with zodiac signs emerging from radiant womb-like matrices, while Kāśī’s Śaiva aura subtly anchors the vision—suggesting a sacred city mirrored in the heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatras
• Rāśis (zodiac signs)
• Meṣa (Aries)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is sacred: the star-powers are honored as foremost principles within the divine design of the universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), in the context of the Nakṣatreśvara-liṅga’s greatness within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the exalted status of the nakṣatras as a basis for their worship.