Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

आदावनाराध्य भवंतमत्र यो मां भजिष्यत्यपि भक्तियुक्तः । समीहितं तस्य न सेत्स्यति ध्रुवं परात्परान्मेंबुज चक्रपाणे

Transliteration

ādāvanārādhya bhavaṃtamatra yo māṃ bhajiṣyatyapi bhaktiyuktaḥ | samīhitaṃ tasya na setsyati dhruvaṃ parātparānmeṃbuja cakrapāṇe

Translation

ഹേ പരാത്പര, പദ്മ-ചക്രധാരിയായ പ്രഭോ! ഇവിടെ ആദ്യം നിന്നെ ആരാധിക്കാതെ, ഭക്തിയോടെയെങ്കിലും എന്നെ ഭജിക്കുന്നവന്റെ അഭിലഷിതം തീർച്ചയായും സിദ്ധിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदौ (अव्यय/सप्तमी-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — adverb (at first)

• अनाराध्य: without worshipping
• अनाराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) नकार-पूर्वक — without worshipping / not having propitiated

• भवन्तम्: you (honorific)
• भवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular (honorific 'you')

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of place

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative, Singular

• भजिष्यति: will worship / will serve
• भजिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 3rd person, Singular

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय — particle

• भक्तियुक्तः: endowed with devotion
• भक्तियुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (भक्त्या युक्तः)

• समीहितम्: the desired (result)
• समीहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + ईह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (desired thing)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — negation particle

• सेत्स्यति: will succeed / will be accomplished
• सेत्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Future, 3rd person, Singular

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययवत् — adverb (certainly)

• परात्परात्: from the one beyond the beyond
• परात्परात्: Sambandha (Ablative comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular; तुलनार्थक (beyond the beyond)

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/Dative relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन — Genitive/Dative, Singular (context: 'of me' or 'to me')

• अम्बुज: O lotus(-eyed/lotus-born)
• अम्बुज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular (epithet)

• चक्रपाणे: O wielder of the discus
• चक्रपाणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; बहुव्रीहि (चक्रः पाणौ यस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Ānandavana (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Viṣṇu with affectionate authority: in this sacred place, devotees must first worship Viṣṇu before worshipping Śiva for their aims to succeed; the scene feels didactic yet tender.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu (Ambuja-cakra-pāṇi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes right orientation: devotion bears fruit when aligned with the proper divine order and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Kāśī’s sacred domain, presenting it as a place of precise devotional discipline and high spiritual stakes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription: worship/propitiate Viṣṇu first (ādau ārādhana) before other forms of worship in this context.