Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

यत्र विश्वेश्वरः साक्षाद्यत्राऽमरधुनी स्वयम् । त्वादृशा यत्र मुनयः क्व भीस्तत्रोपसर्गजा

Transliteration

yatra viśveśvaraḥ sākṣādyatrā'maradhunī svayam | tvādṛśā yatra munayaḥ kva bhīstatropasargajā

Translation

എവിടെ സാക്ഷാൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരൻ സന്നിഹിതനാകുന്നു, എവിടെ സ്വയം അമരധുനി (ഗംഗ) നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു, എവിടെ നിങ്ങളുപോലുള്ള മുനിമാർ വസിക്കുന്നു—അവിടെ ഉപസർഗ്ഗജന്യ ഭയം എങ്ങനെ ഉണ്ടാകും?

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (relative adverb: “where”)

• विश्वेश्वरः: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/प्रत्यक्षार्थक (directly, in person)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (where)

• अमरधुनी: the celestial river (Gaṅgā)
• अमरधुनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर + धुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अमराणां धुनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Emphatic/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक (oneself, by herself)

• त्वादृशाः: (people) like you
• त्वादृशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (त्वत्-आदृश) “like you”

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (where)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-देशवाचक (where?)

• भीः: fear
• भीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• उपसर्गजा: arising from affliction
• उपसर्गजा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपसर्ग + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपसर्गात् जाता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (born of affliction)

Speaker

Disciples of Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra in Kāśī; Gaṅgā (Amaradhunī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Guru (a revered muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional tableau: Viśveśvara’s temple presence, Gaṅgā flowing nearby, and venerable sages seated in meditation—forming a triad that radiates fearlessness over the city.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara (Śiva)
• Amaradhunī (Gaṅgā)
• Vyāsa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence (Śiva and Gaṅgā) and saintly company dissolve fear; sacred geography supports inner fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, especially Viśveśvara’s kṣetra and the Gaṅgā flowing there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse asserts the protective, fear-dispelling power of dwelling in Kāśī.