Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

भगवच्चरणद्वंद्वं निर्द्द्वंद्व ध्यानमुत्तमम् । पापिनापि प्रसंगेन विहितं स्वहितं परम्

Transliteration

bhagavaccaraṇadvaṃdvaṃ nirddvaṃdva dhyānamuttamam | pāpināpi prasaṃgena vihitaṃ svahitaṃ param

Translation

ഭഗവാന്റെ പാദയുഗളത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള ദ്വന്ദ്വരഹിതമായ, നിർവികൽപ ധ്യാനമാണ് ഉത്തമം. പാപിയെങ്കിലും സത്സംഗപ്രസംഗവശാൽ അതിൽ ലീനനായാൽ തനിക്കു പരമശ്രേയസ് ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• भगवत्-चरण-द्वन्द्वम्: the pair of the Lord’s feet
• भगवत्-चरण-द्वन्द्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भगवतः चरणयोः द्वन्द्वम्)

• निर्द्वन्द्व: free from dualities
• निर्द्वन्द्व: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ध्यानम् इति)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ध्यानम् इति)

• पापिना: by a sinner
• पापिना: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपवादार्थकः ‘even/also’

• प्रसङ्गेन: by chance/through occasion
• प्रसङ्गेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (instrumental of cause/occasion)

• विहितम्: prescribed/ordained
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोगः; विशेषणम् (ध्यानम् इति)

• स्व-हितम्: one’s own welfare
• स्व-हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य हितम्)

• परम्: highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्वहितम् इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī sits near a ghat/temple threshold, eyes lowered in serene absorption, mentally holding the Lord’s lotus feet; around, pilgrims pass—suggesting ‘prasanga’ that turns even the fallen toward the highest good.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Undistracted meditation on the Lord’s feet is portrayed as the highest practice, capable of uplifting even the sinful through auspicious association.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśīkhaṇḍa and supports the broader Kāśī-māhātmya context, though it does not name a specific tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mental discipline (dhyāna) is prescribed—nirddvandva meditation on the Lord’s feet—rather than an external rite.