Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

विश्वा सौभाग्यगौरी च सृष्टाः प्राच्यादिमध्यतः । एता यत्नेन संपूज्याः क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः

Transliteration

viśvā saubhāgyagaurī ca sṛṣṭāḥ prācyādimadhyataḥ | etā yatnena saṃpūjyāḥ kṣetrarakṣaṇadevatāḥ

Translation

पूर्व दिशेपासून आरंभ करून मध्यभागातून विश्वा व सौभाग्यगौरी प्रकट झाल्या. या क्षेत्ररक्षण करणाऱ्या देवता यत्नपूर्वक पूजनीय आहेत।

Word by Word

• विश्वा: all-pervading / universal
• विश्वा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवताः/शक्तयः)

• सौभाग्यगौरी: Saubhāgya-Gaurī (a form/name)
• सौभाग्यगौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम); कर्मधारयः—'सौभाग्यरूपा गौरी'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (created)

• प्राच्यादिमध्यतः: from the middle starting with the east
• प्राच्यादिमध्यतः: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (from the middle beginning with the east)

• एताः: these (goddesses)
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संपूज्याः: are to be worshipped
• संपूज्याः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (to be worshipped)

• क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः: deities for protecting the sacred area
• क्षेत्ररक्षणदेवताः: Samana-adhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य रक्षणस्य देवताः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśvā & Saubhāgyagaurī guardians)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two luminous goddesses—Viśvā (universal radiance) and Saubhāgyagaurī (golden auspicious Gaurī)—appear as emanations aligned from the eastern direction toward the center; pilgrims offer flowers and lamps, acknowledging them as protectors of the field.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvā
• Saubhāgyagaurī
• Kāśī-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is upheld by a living network of protective divinities; reverence to them sustains harmony with the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra, described as guarded by kṣetra-rakṣaṇa devatās arranged with directional symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the kṣetra-protecting deities (including Viśvā and Saubhāgyagaurī) with deliberate effort.