Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यां विश्वनाथसमं तत्फलदं नृणाम् । प्रभासस्य च यात्राभिर्दशभिर्यत्फलं नृणाम्

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāṃ viśvanāthasamaṃ tatphaladaṃ nṛṇām | prabhāsasya ca yātrābhirdaśabhiryatphalaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

മനുഷ്യർക്കു ഇതിന്റെ ഫലം വാരാണസിയിലെ വിശ്വനാഥാരാധനയ്‌ക്ക് തുല്യം; പ്രഭാസത്തിലേക്കുള്ള പത്ത് തീർത്ഥയാത്രകളാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യവും ഇതിലൂടെ ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• viśvanātha-samam: equal to (that of) Viśvanātha
• viśvanātha-samam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvanātha (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (viśvanāthena samam = equal to Viśvanātha)

• tat-phala-dam: giving that fruit/result
• tat-phala-dam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + da (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपपद-समास; द (दा/डु दाञ्) धातोः शतृ/कृदन्त-प्रत्ययान्त (द = ददाति इति), अर्थः ‘फलद’ = giving fruit

• nṛṇām: of men/for people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• prabhāsasya: of Prabhāsa (holy place)
• prabhāsasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yātrābhiḥ: by pilgrimages
• yātrābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• daśabhiḥ: with ten
• daśabhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग्य; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘yātrābhiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• yat-phalam: the result which
• yat-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष (yasya phalam = whose fruit/result)

• nṛṇām: of men/for people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

Speaker

Śailajā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Mahāgiri)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim hears a sage’s proclamation that one sacred journey grants the merit of Viśvanātha in Kāśī and ten Prabhāsa pilgrimages; behind him appear three luminous sacred vistas—Kāśī’s Viśvanātha liṅga, Prabhāsa’s sea-shore shrine, and Arbuda’s forested mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Viśvanātha
• Prabhāsa
• Arbudāraṇya (implied)
• Acaleśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach that certain Śaiva sites concentrate immense merit; even one visit can equal many renowned pilgrimages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbudāraṇya’s Acaleśvara (by context), compared in merit to Viśvanātha of Vārāṇasī and the Prabhāsa tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (yātrā) is emphasized; the verse frames comparative merit rather than prescribing a detailed ritual.