Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

ईशानेशं समभ्यर्च्य स्नात्वोत्तरवहांभसि । वसेदीशाननगरे ईशानसदृशप्रभः

Transliteration

īśāneśaṃ samabhyarcya snātvottaravahāṃbhasi | vasedīśānanagare īśānasadṛśaprabhaḥ

Translation

ഈശാനേശനെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആരാധിച്ച്, ഉത്തരവഹാ ജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, ഈശാന-നഗരത്തിൽ വസിക്കണം; അപ്പോൾ അവൻ ഈശാനനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തിയോടെ പ്രകാശിക്കും.

Word by Word

• ईशानेशम्: Īśāneśa (the Lord)
• ईशानेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (ईशानः एव ईशः)

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-अभि-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having duly worshipped’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); sandhi: स्नात्वा + उत्तरवहा-अम्भसि → स्नात्वोत्तरवहांभसि

• उत्तरवहा-अम्भसि: in the waters of Uttaravahā
• उत्तरवहा-अम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरवहा (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उत्तरवहायाः अम्भः/अम्भसि); ‘in the water of Uttaravahā (river)’

• वसेत्: should reside
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should dwell’

• ईशाननगरे: in Īśāna-nagara
• ईशाननगरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान + नगर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ईशानस्य नगरम्)

• ईशानसदृशप्रभः: having splendor like Īśāna
• ईशानसदृशप्रभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईशान + सदृश + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ईशान-सदृशी प्रभा यस्य); बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttaravahā (snāna-tīrtha) and Īśāna-nagara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee worships a Śiva-liṅga (Īśāneśa), then descends steps to bathe in the Uttaravahā waters; afterward, the devotee is shown residing in a serene quarter called Īśāna-nagara, depicted as luminous and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāneśa
• Uttaravahā
• Īśāna-nagara
• Īśāna (Śiva aspect)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship and ritual purity (snāna) in Kāśī are said to refine the devotee into a likeness of Śiva’s Īśāna aspect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Īśāneśa shrine and the Uttaravahā waters, with residence in Īśāna-nagara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Īśāneśa (samabhyarcya) and bathe in Uttaravahā (snātvā), then reside in Īśāna-nagara.