Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सप्तकोटिमहारुद्रैः सुजप्तैर्यत्फलं भवेत् । तत्फलं लभ्यते काश्यां पूजनात्कृत्तिवाससः

Transliteration

saptakoṭimahārudraiḥ sujaptairyatphalaṃ bhavet | tatphalaṃ labhyate kāśyāṃ pūjanātkṛttivāsasaḥ

Translation

ഏഴ് കോടി മഹാരുദ്രമന്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ സുസ്ഥിരജപത്തിൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യഫലം ഏതോ, അതേ ഫലം കാശിയിൽ കൃത്തിവാസൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ പൂജിക്കുന്നതുമാത്രം കൊണ്ടു ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सप्तकोटिमहारुद्रैः: by (the) seven-crore great Rudras
• सप्तकोटिमहारुद्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—सप्तकोटि-महारुद्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/संख्यापूर्वक-निर्धारणार्थः)

• सुजप्तैः: well-recited
• सुजप्तैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जप् (धातु) → जप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• फलं: fruit/result
• फलं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be / may occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम् इत्यस्य)

• फलं: fruit/result
• फलं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः)

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

• पूजनात्: from/through worship
• पूजनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• कृत्तिवाससः: of Kṛttivāsa (Śiva)
• कृत्तिवाससः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक) → कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक, शिवनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—कृत्ति-वास (तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāsa/Kṛttivāseśa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (standard frame) / within episode: Agastya is addressed nearby

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī offers bilva leaves and lamps to the Kṛttivāsa liṅga; behind, the aura of countless Rudra-mantras appears as luminous script dissolving into Śiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṛttivāsa
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī magnifies devotion: sincere Śiva-worship there can equal vast quantities of mantra-japa merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), particularly the worship of Kṛttivāsa/Kṛttivāseśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kṛttivāsa (Śiva) in Kāśī.