Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गोपीप्रियाय केशिघ्ने गोवर्धनधराय च । रामाय रघुनाथाय राघवाय नमोनमः

Transliteration

gopīpriyāya keśighne govardhanadharāya ca | rāmāya raghunāthāya rāghavāya namonamaḥ

Translation

ഗോപീപ്രിയനേ, കേശീഘ്നനേ, ഗോവർധനധാരിയേ—നിനക്കു വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും നമസ്കാരം. രാമാ, രഘുനാഥാ, രാഘവാ—നിനക്കു നമോ നമഃ.

Word by Word

• गोपीप्रियाय: to the beloved of the gopīs
• गोपीप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोपीनां प्रियः)

• केशिघ्ने: to the slayer of Keśin
• केशिघ्ने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् + √हन् (धातु) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (घ्न-प्रत्ययान्त, हन्ता-अर्थे); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (केशिनं हन्ति)

• गोवर्धनधराय: to the lifter of Govardhana
• गोवर्धनधराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवर्धन + धर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोवर्धनं धरति)

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

• रामाय: to Rāma
• रामाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• रघुनाथाय: to the lord of the Raghu line
• रघुनाथाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + नाथ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रघोः नाथः)

• राघवाय: to Rāghava
• राघवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• नमः: salutation again
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-नमस्कार (repeated salutation)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī) as a ‘sarva-tīrtha’ through smaraṇa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite vision: Kṛṣṇa adored by gopīs, Keśī demon fallen, Govardhana lifted on the little finger; seamlessly transitioning to Rāma with bow, embodying royal dharma—both receiving repeated salutations.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs
• Keśī
• Govardhana
• Rāma
• Raghu
• Rāghava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The One Supreme is praised through many avatāra-deeds; remembering them cultivates surrender and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the verse functions as devotional praise within Kāśī’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the devotional act is repeated namaskāra and nāma-japa (namo namaḥ).