Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततोन्यल्ललितातीर्थं गंगाकेशवसन्निधौ । तत्रास्ति ललिता देवी क्षेत्ररक्षाकरी परा

Transliteration

tatonyallalitātīrthaṃ gaṃgākeśavasannidhau | tatrāsti lalitā devī kṣetrarakṣākarī parā

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ഗംഗയും കേശവനും സന്നിധിയിലുള്ള ‘ലലിതാ-തീർത്ഥം’ എന്ന മറ്റൊരു തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ ദേവി ലലിത വസിക്കുന്നു; അവൾ ക്ഷേത്രം (കാശി) കാക്കുന്ന പരമ രക്ഷകയാണ്.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from there/thereafter)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषण

• ललिता-तीर्थम्: the Lalitā sacred ford
• ललिता-तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalitā + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ललितायाः तीर्थम्’

• गंगा-केशव-सन्निधौ: in the vicinity of Gaṅgā and Keśava
• गंगा-केशव-सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + keśava + sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘गंगायाः केशवस्य च सन्निधौ’ (near Gaṅgā and Keśava)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ललिता: Lalitā
• ललिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षेत्र-रक्षा-करī: protector of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्र-रक्षा-करī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣetra + rakṣā + karī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रस्य रक्षा करोति’

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देवी’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lalitā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside ford in Kāśī: Lalitā-tīrtha with steps to the Gaṅgā; nearby a Keśava (Viṣṇu) presence; Lalitā Devī appears as a radiant guardian, watching over pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Lalitā-tīrtha
• Gaṅgā
• Keśava
• Lalitā Devī
• Kāśī (Kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a divinely protected sacred landscape, guarded by specific goddesses whose presence sanctifies and preserves the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lalitā-tīrtha in Kāśī, situated near the Gaṅgā and the presence of Keśava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse identifies the tīrtha and the presiding deity Lalitā as the kṣetra’s supreme protectress.