Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सत्पथस्थिरवृतीनां दूरस्थोपि समीपगः । यस्मिन्प्रसन्नदृक्त्र्यक्षस्तं दविष्ठमपि ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

satpathasthiravṛtīnāṃ dūrasthopi samīpagaḥ | yasminprasannadṛktryakṣastaṃ daviṣṭhamapi dhruvam

Translation

സത്പഥത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരമായ വൃത്തിയുള്ളവർക്ക് അവൻ ദൂരെയായാലും സമീപസ്ഥൻ തന്നെയാണ്. ത്രിനേത്രനായ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ പ്രസന്നദൃഷ്ടി ആരിൽ പതിയുന്നുവോ, അവർക്കു അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായതും നിശ്ചയമായി സാധ്യമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सत्-पथ-स्थिर-वृत्तीनाम्: of those whose conduct is steady on the good path
• सत्-पथ-स्थिर-वृत्तीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (वृत्ति), षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः (sat-path + steady + conduct)

• दूर-स्थः: being far away
• दूर-स्थः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive ‘even’)

• समीप-गः: near (as if close)
• समीप-गः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषण (‘going/being near’)

• यस्मिन्: in whom
• यस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचनम् (relative pronoun)

• प्रसन्न-दृक्: with a gracious gaze
• प्रसन्न-दृक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषण (‘having a gracious look’)

• त्रि-अक्षः: the three-eyed (Śiva)
• त्रि-अक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (‘three-eyed’)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्

• दविष्ठम्: the most giving/most bountiful
• दविष्ठम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दविष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly, surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् (adverbial accusative/indeclinable usage)

Speaker

Tvaṣṭṛ’s son (tvāṣṭraḥ), reflecting on Śiva’s grace

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā with Tryakṣa’s prasāda (Viśveśvara sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-sages (frame assumed; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee walking the ‘true path’ is shown with Śiva’s three-eyed gaze of favor shining upon him; distant becomes near, and a difficult mountain-like obstacle dissolves into a clear road.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣa (Śiva)
• Viśveśvara (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfastness in dharma makes the Lord ‘near,’ and His favorable glance turns the hardest obstacles into certainties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī worldview is implied: the nearness of Śiva (Viśveśvara) to those aligned with satpatha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the ‘prescription’ is ethical—firmness in satpatha and receptivity to Śiva’s grace.