Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्वेतमाधवसंज्ञोहं विशालाक्ष्याः समीपतः । श्वेतद्वीपेश्वरं रूपं कुर्यां भक्त्या समर्चितः

Transliteration

śvetamādhavasaṃjñohaṃ viśālākṣyāḥ samīpataḥ | śvetadvīpeśvaraṃ rūpaṃ kuryāṃ bhaktyā samarcitaḥ

Translation

വിശാലാക്ഷിയുടെ സമീപത്ത് ഞാൻ ‘ശ്വേതമാധവൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ. ഭക്തിയോടെ ആരാധിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ശ്വേതദ്വീപേശ്വരന്റെ രൂപം ധരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्वेतमाधवसंज्ञः: named Śveta-Mādhava
• श्वेतमाधवसंज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + माधव (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्वेतमाधव इति संज्ञा यस्य (named ‘Śveta-Mādhava’)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विशालाक्ष्याः: of Viśālākṣī (the wide-eyed goddess)
• विशालाक्ष्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि/अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—विशालानि अक्षी यस्याः (Genitive singular)

• समीपतः: near (to)
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘near/ from proximity’

• श्वेतद्वीपेश्वरम्: the Lord of Śvetadvīpa
• श्वेतद्वीपेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—श्वेतद्वीपस्य ईश्वरः (Accusative singular)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्याम्: may I take on / may I make
• कुर्याम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (may I assume/make)

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• समर्चितः: being duly worshipped
• समर्चितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (worshipped)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śveta-Mādhava (near Viśālākṣī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers in Kāśī-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright, white-radiant Mādhava icon near the Viśālākṣī shrine; as worship intensifies, the deity’s aura shifts into a celestial ‘Śvetadvīpa’ vision—white lotuses, milky ocean tones, luminous attendants—while Kāśī’s temple architecture remains visible.

Characters & Entities

• Viśālākṣī
• Śveta-Mādhava
• Śvetadvīpa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship reveals the deity’s transcendent form; Kāśī is portrayed as a place where higher divine manifestations become accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śveta-Mādhava shrine located near the goddess Viśālākṣī in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samarcana—worship with bhakti, leading to an elevated darśana (vision) of the deity’s form.