Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वेदेश्वरादुदीच्यां तु क्षेत्रज्ञश्चादिकेशवः । दृष्टं त्रिभुवनं सर्वं तस्य संदर्शनाद्ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

vedeśvarādudīcyāṃ tu kṣetrajñaścādikeśavaḥ | dṛṣṭaṃ tribhuvanaṃ sarvaṃ tasya saṃdarśanāddhruvam

Translation

വേദേശ്വരന്റെ വടക്കായി ക്ഷേത്രജ്ഞനും ആദികേശവനും ഉണ്ട്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മംഗളദർശനത്താൽ നിശ്ചയമായി ത്രിഭുവനമൊക്കെയും ദർശിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वेदेश्वरात्: from Vedeśvara
• वेदेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the north
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• क्षेत्रज्ञः: Kṣetrajña (the Knower of the field)
• क्षेत्रज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा (धातु) + क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; देवतावाचक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आदि-केशवः: Ādi-Keśava (primeval Keśava)
• आदि-केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘आदिः केशवः’ इति कर्मधारयः

• दृष्टम्: is seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• त्रि-भुवनम्: the three worlds
• त्रि-भुवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘त्रिभुवनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• संदर्शनात्: from the sight (of it)
• संदर्शनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√दृश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative/नपुंसक-एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययीभावः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetrajña; Ādi-Keśava (north of Vedeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A northward-moving pilgrim reaches Ādi-Keśava; upon darśana, the three worlds appear as layered visions—earthly Kāśī, celestial realms above, and nether realms below—centered on Viṣṇu as the witnessing Kṣetrajña.

Characters & Entities

• Vedeśvara
• Kṣetrajña
• Ādi-Keśava
• Tribhuvana (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred darśana expands consciousness: Kāśī’s holy forms are said to grant a cosmic vision, symbolizing spiritual awakening beyond ordinary limits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣetrajña and Ādi-Keśava, located north of Vedeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (sight/visitation) is the implied practice; no separate rite is specified.