Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

चतुर्णामपि वेदानां पुण्यमध्ययनाच्च यत् । तत्पुण्यं जायतां काश्यां गायत्रीलक्ष जाप्यतः

Transliteration

caturṇāmapi vedānāṃ puṇyamadhyayanācca yat | tatpuṇyaṃ jāyatāṃ kāśyāṃ gāyatrīlakṣa jāpyataḥ

Translation

നാലു വേദങ്ങളുടെ അധ്യയനത്തിൽ നിന്നു ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യം ഏതോ, അതേ പുണ്യം കാശിയിൽ ഗായത്രി ഒരു ലക്ഷം ജപം ചെയ്‌താൽ ലഭിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (वेदानाम्-सम्बन्धे); षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (gen pl: 'of four')

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

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (gen pl)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (That which is obtained)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg)

• अध्ययनात्: from studying
• अध्ययनात्: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक; अधि + √इ (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl sg: 'from/by means of study')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• यत्: which (merit)
• यत्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (rel. pronoun: 'which/that')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (demonstrative; 'that')

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (That to be produced)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• जायताम्: let it arise
• जायताम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd pl: 'let it arise/be produced')

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (loc sg)

• गायत्रीलक्ष: a lakh (100,000) of Gāyatrī (recitations)
• गायत्रीलक्ष: Karana/Parimana (Measure/Instrumental sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg); गायत्र्याः लक्षम् = 'a lakh of Gāyatrī (recitations)'

• जाप्यतः: from (its) being recited/muttered
• जाप्यतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; √जप्-धातोः यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय: 'to be muttered')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl sg: 'from/by (its) being recited'); कर्मणि-भाव (gerundive used substantively)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated at a Gaṅgā-ghāṭa at dawn, counting a mālā, radiant Gāyatrī light rising like the sun; four Vedas appear as subtle luminous scrolls blessing the japa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Four Vedas
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, concentrated mantra-japa can yield Vedic-scale merit, highlighting the kṣetra’s amplifying sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a place where spiritual practices bear heightened fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa of one lakṣa (100,000) repetitions.