Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

गंगा विश्वेश्वरः काशी जागर्ति त्रितयं यतः । तत्र नैःश्रेयसी लक्ष्मीर्लभ्यते चित्रमत्र किम्

Transliteration

gaṃgā viśveśvaraḥ kāśī jāgarti tritayaṃ yataḥ | tatra naiḥśreyasī lakṣmīrlabhyate citramatra kim

Translation

അവിടെ ഗംഗ, വിശ്വേശ്വരൻ, കാശി—ഈ ത്രയം സദാ ജാഗരൂകമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതിനാൽ, അവിടെ നൈഃശ്രേയസ-ലക്ഷ്മി ലഭിക്കുന്നു; ഇതിൽ അത്ഭുതമെന്ത്?

Word by Word

• gaṃgā: Gaṅgā
• gaṃgā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• viśveśvaraḥ: Viśveśvara (Lord of all)
• viśveśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jāgarti: is awake / remains vigilant
• jāgarti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jāgar (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• tritayam: the triad (threefold set)
• tritayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tritaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/wherefrom)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• naiḥśreyasī: leading to the highest good (final beatitude)
• naiḥśreyasī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśreyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• lakṣmīḥ: fortune, prosperity
• lakṣmīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• labhyate: is obtained
• labhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• citram: a wonder
• citram: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भावे ‘wonder’

• atra: here, in this case
• atra: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tritaya (Gaṅgā–Viśveśvara–Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych composition: left—Gaṅgā as living goddess-river; center—Viśveśvara liṅga in sanctum with lamps; right—Kāśī as a radiant city-personification. Above them, a motif of open, unblinking eyes signifying ‘jāgarti’ (ever-awake).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī
• Naiḥśreyasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī grants the highest good because Gaṅgā, Śiva as Viśveśvara, and the sacred city itself form an ever-potent triad.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī with Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara (Kāśī Viśvanātha), presented as a unified sacred complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse states the doctrinal basis for naiḥśreyasa through the triad’s presence.