Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विष्णुना च महालक्ष्म्या ब्रह्मणा विश्वकर्मणा । नंदिनाथ गणेशेन आविष्कृतमहोत्सवः

Transliteration

viṣṇunā ca mahālakṣmyā brahmaṇā viśvakarmaṇā | naṃdinātha gaṇeśena āviṣkṛtamahotsavaḥ

Translation

വിഷ്ണു, മഹാലക്ഷ്മി, ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിശ്വകർമ്മാ, നന്ദിനാഥ ഗണേശൻ—ഇവരാൽ ആ മഹോത്സവം മഹിമയോടെ പ്രകടമായി।

Word by Word

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by Viṣṇu’

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

• महालक्ष्म्या: by Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्म्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लक्ष्मी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by Mahālakṣmī’

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by Brahmā’

• विश्वकर्मणा: by Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + कर्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by Viśvakarman’

• नन्दिनाथ: by Nandinātha (Nandin)
• नन्दिनाथ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; नन्दिन् + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — अपेक्षितं ‘नन्दिनाथेन’ (by Nandinātha); पाठे ‘नन्दिनाथ’ इति विभक्त्यभावः (सम्भाव्य-लिप्यन्तर/सन्धि-भ्रंश)

• गणेशेन: by Gaṇeśa
• गणेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक; गण + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘by Gaṇeśa’

• आविष्कृत: manifested, arranged
• आविष्कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्कृत (कृदन्त; आविस् + √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘manifested/arranged’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• महोत्सवः: great festival
• महोत्सवः: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + उत्सव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘great festival’ (समासान्तपद)

• आविष्कृतमहोत्सवः: whose great festival was arranged
• आविष्कृतमहोत्सवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्कृत-महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य महोत्सवः आविष्कृतः सः (महादेवः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A magnificent festival tableau: Viṣṇu and Mahālakṣmī present honors, Brahmā presides, Viśvakarmā displays crafted splendor, while Nandinātha and Gaṇeśa reveal and manage the grand utsava around Mahādeva.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mahālakṣmī
• Brahmā
• Viśvakarmā
• Gaṇeśa (Nandinātha)
• Mahotsava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s glory is so great that multiple deities cooperate to honor Śiva—signifying unity of dharma in sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is glorified as the setting for a cosmic-scale festival.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse describes the manifestation of a grand celebratory festival (mahotsava).