Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

दक्षिणाधूर्दृढा यत्र मखा यत्राभिरक्षकाः । आसनं प्रणवो यत्र गायत्रीपादपीठभूः

Transliteration

dakṣiṇādhūrdṛḍhā yatra makhā yatrābhirakṣakāḥ | āsanaṃ praṇavo yatra gāyatrīpādapīṭhabhūḥ

Translation

त्या पवित्र स्थानी दक्षिणेची मर्यादा दृढ असते आणि यज्ञ सुरक्षित असतात. तेथे आसन स्वयं प्रणव ‘ॐ’ आहे, आणि भूमी गायत्रीच्या चरणांची पीठिका होऊन शोभते.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणा: the southern (side/direction)
• दक्षिणा: Adhikarana (Locative context marker via yatra; descriptive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अधूः: sacrifice (adhvara)
• अधूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस रूप (adhūḥ = adhvaraḥ)

• दृढा: firm, strong
• दृढा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• मखाः: sacrifices
• मखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb)

• अभिरक्षकाः: protectors, guardians
• अभिरक्षकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आसनम्: seat
• आसनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणवः: the syllable Oṃ (praṇava)
• प्रणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• गायत्रीपादपीठभूः: the base/footstool of Gāyatrī’s feet
• गायत्रीपादपीठभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गायत्र्याः पादानां पीठभूः = 'base of the feet of Gāyatrī')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Kāśī-kshetra visualized as Veda made city: Oṃ as a radiant throne-seat, the ground patterned as four quarters of Gāyatrī, priests offering dakṣiṇā, and protective deities guarding yajñas.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Gāyatrī
• Kāśī (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a living embodiment of Vedic power—where mantra (Oṃ, Gāyatrī) and yajña-merit naturally abide and are protected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, celebrated through mantra-centric sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it extols yajña-dakṣiṇā and Vedic mantra (Praṇava, Gāyatrī) as intrinsic sanctifiers of the place.