Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । काश्यां बुधेश्वरसमर्चनलब्धबुद्धिः संसारसिंधुमधिगम्य नरो ह्यगाधम् । मज्जेन्न सज्जनविलोचन चंद्रकांतिः कांताननस्त्वधिवसेच्च बुधेऽत्र लोके

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | kāśyāṃ budheśvarasamarcanalabdhabuddhiḥ saṃsārasiṃdhumadhigamya naro hyagādham | majjenna sajjanavilocana caṃdrakāṃtiḥ kāṃtānanastvadhivasecca budhe'tra loke

Translation

ഗണങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞു—കാശിയിൽ ബുധേശ്വരനെ സമ്യക് ആരാധിച്ച് ബുദ്ധി ലഭിച്ച മനുഷ്യൻ അഗാധമായ സംസാരസിന്ധുവിൽ മുങ്ങുകയില്ല. സജ്ജനരുടെ കണ്ണുകൾക്ക് ചന്ദ്രകാന്തിപോലെ ദീപ്തനും കാന്തമുഖനുമായ അവൻ ഇവിടെ ബുധലോകത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• गणौ: the two attendants (gaṇas)
• गणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• ऊचतुः: said
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• बुधेश्वर-समर्चन-लब्ध-बुद्धिः: one whose intelligence is obtained by worship of Budheśvara
• बुधेश्वर-समर्चन-लब्ध-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + समर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + लब्ध (कृदन्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: बुधेश्वरस्य समर्चनात् लब्धा बुद्धिः यस्य; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as subject-qualifier)

• संसार-सिन्धुम्: the ocean of worldly existence
• संसार-सिन्धुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: संसारस्य सिन्धुः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधिगम्य: having entered/approached
• अधिगम्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि + गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund), ‘having approached/entered’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Particle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle of emphasis/reason)

• अगाधम्: unfathomable
• अगाधम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with संसारसिन्धुम्)

• मज्जेत्: would sink
• मज्जेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• सज्जन-विलोचन-चन्द्रकान्तिः: having moonlike radiance in (his) eyes like those of the good
• सज्जन-विलोचन-चन्द्रकान्तिः: Visheshana (Adjectival noun/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समाससम्भव: सज्जनानां विलोचनानि इव चन्द्रकान्तिः (moonlike radiance of the eyes); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as qualifier of नरः)

• कान्त-आननः: one with a lovely face
• कान्त-आननः: Visheshana (Adjectival noun/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: कान्तम् आननम् यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (qualifier of नरः)

• तु: but
• तु: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Particle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेष (contrastive particle)

• अधिवसेत्: would dwell
• अधिवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• बुधे: O Budha
• बुधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Budheśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied pilgrims/audience within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two Gaṇas proclaim the glory of Budheśvara; behind them the liṅga shrine glows. A devotee stands at the edge of a vast ocean symbolizing saṃsāra, held back by a radiant shield of awakened intelligence.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Budheśvara
• Budha
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship in Kāśī refines intelligence and becomes a means to overcome saṃsāra, leading to auspicious posthumous states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Budheśvara in Kāśī, praised as a liberative shrine granting wisdom and auspicious destiny.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samarcana (devout worship/arcana) of Budheśvara is recommended as the efficacious act.