Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

प्रातःस्नानं विधायादौ नत्वा पंचविनायकान् । नमस्कृत्वाथ विश्वेशं स्थित्वा निर्वाणमंडपे

Transliteration

prātaḥsnānaṃ vidhāyādau natvā paṃcavināyakān | namaskṛtvātha viśveśaṃ sthitvā nirvāṇamaṃḍape

Translation

പ്രാതഃസ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ആദ്യം പഞ്ചവിനായകരെ പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത്, പിന്നെ വിശ്വേശ്വരനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു നിർവാണമണ്ഡപത്തിൽ നില്ക്കണം।

Word by Word

• प्रातःस्नानम्: morning bath
• प्रातःस्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास (प्रातः + स्नानम्)

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकर्म; धातु: धा, उपसर्ग: वि-

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), अर्थे: ‘प्रथमम्/आरम्भे’

• नत्वा: having bowed to
• नत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: नम्

• पञ्चविनायकान्: the five Vināyakas (Gaṇeśas)
• पञ्चविनायकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च + विनायकाः)

• नमस्कृत्वा: having paid obeisance
• नमस्कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातु: कृ; उपपद-समास/योग: नमस् + कृ (नमस्कृ)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अनन्तर्य-बोधक)

• विश्वेशम्: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• स्थित्वा: having stood
• स्थित्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातु: स्था

• निर्वाणमण्डपे: in the Nirvāṇa pavilion
• निर्वाणमण्डपे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निर्वाणस्य मण्डपः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa (within Viśveśvara precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn, wet hair and simple cloth, hands folded; small Gaṇeśa shrines (five) in a row; then the towering presence of Viśveśvara; finally a pillared hall labeled Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa where the pilgrim stands in stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Pañca-vināyaka
• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity (snāna), obstacle-removal (Vināyaka), and Śiva-darśana form the correct order for Kāśī pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa (Kāśī Viśvanātha) and the Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa, along with the Pañca-vināyaka sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning bath → bow to the Five Vināyakas → salute Viśveśa → stand in Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa.