Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तार्क्ष्यकेशवनामाहं तार्क्ष्यतीर्थे नरोत्तमैः । पूजनीयः सदा भक्त्या तार्क्ष्य वत्ते प्रिया मम

Transliteration

tārkṣyakeśavanāmāhaṃ tārkṣyatīrthe narottamaiḥ | pūjanīyaḥ sadā bhaktyā tārkṣya vatte priyā mama

Translation

താർക്ഷ്യ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ‘താർക്ഷ്യകേശവ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ. നരോത്തമർ അവിടെ സദാ ഭക്തിയോടെ എന്നെ പൂജിക്കണം; ആ താർക്ഷ്യധാമം എനിക്ക് പ്രിയമാണ്।

Word by Word

• तार्क्ष्यकेशवनामा: named ‘Tārkṣyakeśava’
• तार्क्ष्यकेशवनामा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार्क्ष्य-केशव-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तार्क्ष्यकेशव इति नाम यस्य)

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

• तार्क्ष्यतीर्थे: at Tārkṣya-tīrtha
• तार्क्ष्यतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तार्क्ष्यस्य तीर्थम्)

• नरोत्तमैः: by the best of men
• नरोत्तमैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (उत्तमाः नराः)

• पूजनीयः: to be worshipped/worthy of worship
• पूजनीयः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातुः √पूज् (10P)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तार्क्ष्य: O Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• वत्ते: you speak/say
• वत्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातुः √वद् (1P/Ā प्रयोगानुसार)

• प्रिया: dear/beloved
• प्रिया: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-रूपेण)

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tārkṣya-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Tārkṣya-tīrtha, Tārkṣyakeśava is worshipped; Garuḍa’s presence is suggested—either as a banner, sculpture, or hovering guardian; elite pilgrims offer tulasī and lamps; the site feels protective and swift in granting boons.

Characters & Entities

• Tārkṣyakeśava
• Tārkṣya-tīrtha
• Tārkṣya (Garuda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship at the rightly associated tīrtha is presented as the proper dharmic response to divine presence in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tārkṣya-tīrtha in Kāśī, connected with Tārkṣya (Garuda) and the form Tārkṣyakeśava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā performed ‘always’ with bhakti to Tārkṣyakeśava at Tārkṣya-tīrtha.