Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

नादेश्वरं समभ्यर्च्य कैः कैर्नापि स्वचिंतितम् । तस्मात्काश्यां प्रयत्नेन सेव्यो नादेश्वरो नृभिः

Transliteration

nādeśvaraṃ samabhyarcya kaiḥ kairnāpi svaciṃtitam | tasmātkāśyāṃ prayatnena sevyo nādeśvaro nṛbhiḥ

Translation

നാദേശ്വരനെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആരാധിക്കാതെ ആരുടേയും സ്വചിന്തിത ലക്ഷ്യം സിദ്ധിക്കുകയില്ല. അതിനാൽ കാശിയിൽ മനുഷ്യർ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ നാദേശ്വരനെ സേവിച്ച് പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• नादेश्वरम्: Nādeśvara (Lord Nādeśvara)
• नादेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नादस्य ईश्वरः)

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• कैः: by whom; by which (people)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; प्रश्न/अनिश्चित (interrogative/indefinite)

• कैः: by whomsoever; by various (people)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (kaiḥ kaiḥ = 'by various people')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-प्रयोग (even/also)

• स्वचिंतितम्: even conceived by oneself
• स्वचिंतितम्: Karma (Predicate/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + चिन्तित (चिन्त् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle: 'thought/imagined'); समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वेन चिन्तितम्)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), हेतौ (therefore)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सेव्यः: should be served/worshipped
• सेव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be served/worshipped)

• नादेश्वरः: Nādeśvara
• नादेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नादस्य ईश्वरः)

• नृभिः: by men; by people
• नृभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice, as per Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nādeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A directive tableau: pilgrims in Kāśī approaching the Nādeśvara shrine with offerings; the liṅga adorned with bilva leaves, lamps, and a priest guiding worship.

Characters & Entities

• Nādeśvara
• Kāśī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship of the local form of Śiva (Nādeśvara) is taught as the key to fulfilling legitimate aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nādeśvara in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly praised as a focal shrine for attaining desired fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Serve and worship (sevā/arcana) of Nādeśvara in Kāśī with deliberate effort is prescribed.