Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नैःश्रेयसीं च संपत्तिं यो देयात्स्मरणादपि । काशीनाथः स ते दिश्याज्ज्ञानं मलविवर्जितम्

Transliteration

naiḥśreyasīṃ ca saṃpattiṃ yo deyātsmaraṇādapi | kāśīnāthaḥ sa te diśyājjñānaṃ malavivarjitam

Translation

വെറും സ്മരണയാലും പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സും യഥാർത്ഥ സമ്പത്തും നല്കുന്ന ആ കാശീനാഥന്‍ നിനക്ക് മലരഹിതമായ ജ്ഞാനം പ്രസാദിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• नैःश्रेयसीम्: supreme good, final beatitude
• नैःश्रेयसीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैःश्रेयसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

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

• संपत्तिम्: prosperity, attainment
• संपत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun, nominative singular)

• देयात्: may give, would grant
• देयात्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्मरणात्: from remembrance, by remembering
• स्मरणात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); हेतौ/निमित्ते

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; even/also)

• काशीनाथः: Lord of Kāśī
• काशीनाथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dative singular)

• दिश्यात्: may bestow, may grant
• दिश्यात्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• मलविवर्जितम्: free from impurity
• मलविवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (√वर्ज् + वि + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘मलैः विवर्जितम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīnātha (Viśveśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative devotee remembers Kāśīnātha; above, a subtle vision of Viśveśvara appears as light; impurities (mala) are depicted as dark flecks dissolving into the radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśīnātha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even remembrance of Kāśīnātha can uplift the devotee toward the highest good and pure knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through the salvific power of Kāśīnātha (Viśveśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (remembrance) of the deity is highlighted as an efficacious sādhana.