Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मीनृसिंहतीर्थं च गोपीगोविंद दक्षिणे । निर्वाणलक्ष्म्या यत्रत्यो व्रियते तु नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

lakṣmīnṛsiṃhatīrthaṃ ca gopīgoviṃda dakṣiṇe | nirvāṇalakṣmyā yatratyo vriyate tu narottamaḥ

Translation

ഗോപീ-ഗോവിന്ദത്തിന്റെ തെക്കായി ലക്ഷ്മീ-നൃസിംഹ തീർത്ഥവും ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്യുന്ന നരോത്തമൻ നിർവാണലക്ഷ്മി, അഥവാ മോക്ഷസമ്പത്ത് പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• लक्ष्मीनृसिंहतीर्थम्: the Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha tīrtha
• लक्ष्मीनृसिंहतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लक्ष्मीनृसिंहस्य तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• गोपीगोविन्द: of Gopī and Govinda
• गोपीगोविन्द: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक) + गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (स्थाने/तीर्थस्य सम्बन्धे); समासः—द्वन्द्वः (गोपी च गोविन्दश्च)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern side
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि/प्रदेशे अधिकरणम्

• निर्वाणलक्ष्म्या: by/with the fortune of liberation
• निर्वाणलक्ष्म्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (निर्वाणरूपा लक्ष्मीः)

• यत्रत्यः: one who is there (resident there)
• यत्रत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय) + त्य (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्तः ‘यत्रत्य’ = ‘there-dwelling/there-born’

• व्रियते: is chosen/attains
• व्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (√वृ धातु, वरणे/स्वीकारे)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘व्रियते’ = is chosen/attains (is accepted)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः नरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking phala of specific tīrthas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: South of the Gopī-Govinda spot, a small tīrtha with a fierce yet protective Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha icon; a devotee offers lamps and tulasī; the scene hints at the ‘good death’ ideal—serene passing under divine protection.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha-tīrtha
• Lakṣmī
• Nṛsiṃha
• Gopī-Govinda-tīrtha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred spaces are portrayed as liberation-giving; even death in such a sanctified zone is framed as spiritually transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha-tīrtha, described as lying to the south of Gopī-Govinda in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the salvific merit connected with dying at/near this tīrtha.