Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

शेषवासुकिमुख्यैश्च तत्प्रासादो महानिह । मणिमाणिक्यरत्नौघैर्निरमायि प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

śeṣavāsukimukhyaiśca tatprāsādo mahāniha | maṇimāṇikyaratnaughairniramāyi prayatnataḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ ആ മഹത്തായ പ്രാസാദസദൃശമായ ക്ഷേത്രം ശേഷൻ, വാസുകി മുതലായ പ്രധാന നാഗന്മാർ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ നിർമ്മിച്ചു; മണി, മാണിക്യം, രത്നസമൂഹങ്ങളുടെ പ്രവാഹങ്ങളാൽ അത് അലങ്കൃതമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शेष-वासुकि-मुख्यैः: by Śeṣa, Vāsuki and the chief (nāgas)
• शेष-वासुकि-मुख्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष + वासुकि + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—शेषश्च वासुकिश्च मुख्याश्च (by Śeṣa, Vāsuki and the chiefs)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तत्-प्रासादः: that temple/palace
• तत्-प्रासादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—तस्य प्रासादः (its palace/temple)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्रासादः’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• मणि-माणिक्य-रत्न-ओघैः: with heaps of gems, rubies, and jewels
• मणि-माणिक्य-रत्न-ओघैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + माणिक्य + रत्न + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—मणिमाणिक्यरत्नानाम् ओघाः (streams/heaps of gems)

• निरमायि: was constructed
• निरमायि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√मा (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—नि; अर्थः—निर्मितवान्/निर्मितम् (was built)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); प्रकारवाचक (with effort)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śeṣa and Vāsuki with other Nāga chiefs, in semi-divine form, raise a towering prāsāda encrusted with streams of gems—rubies, pearls, and multi-colored precious stones—glittering under lamp-light, with Kāśī’s skyline behind.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa (Nāga)
• Vāsuki (Nāga)
• Nāgas
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Prāsāda (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty Nāgas are depicted as devotees and builders in Kāśī, underscoring the city’s universal attraction for service to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A great prāsāda (temple edifice) in Kāśī associated with Nāga patrons like Śeṣa and Vāsuki.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the focus is on sacred construction (nirmāṇa) as an act of devotion.