Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

प्राच्यां तु क्षेत्ररक्षार्थं सिद्धः सिद्धिविनायकः । पश्चिमे यमतीर्थस्य साधकक्षिप्रसिद्धिदः

Transliteration

prācyāṃ tu kṣetrarakṣārthaṃ siddhaḥ siddhivināyakaḥ | paścime yamatīrthasya sādhakakṣiprasiddhidaḥ

Translation

Di sebelah timur, demi menjaga kṣetra yang suci, bersemayam Siddhi‑Vināyaka yang telah sempurna. Dan di sebelah barat, di Yama‑tīrtha, baginda mengurniakan para sādhaka pencapaian yang segera serta kemasyhuran.

Word by Word

• prācyām: in the east
• prācyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• kṣetra-rakṣā-artham: for the protection of the sacred field
• kṣetra-rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• siddhaḥ: Siddha (the accomplished one)
• siddhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेष्य (name/title)

• siddhi-vināyakaḥ: Siddhi-Vināyaka
• siddhi-vināyakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vināyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपाधि/नाम

• paścime: in the west
• paścime: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• yama-tīrthasya: of Yama-tīrtha
• yama-tīrthasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• sādhaka-kṣipra-siddhi-daḥ: giver of quick success to practitioners
• sādhaka-kṣipra-siddhi-daḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣipra (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + da (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-समास, ‘द’ = दाता (giver)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yama-tīrtha (within Kāśī’s western sacred circuit)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Traditionally) sages such as Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya assembly / or a principal interlocutor in Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like vision of Kāśī: in the east stands Siddhi-Vināyaka as a guardian; in the west, near Yama-tīrtha, another Vināyaka grants swift siddhi to sādhakas—pilgrims moving between directional shrines with Gaṅgā in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhi-Vināyaka
• Yama-tīrtha
• Kāśī
• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a divinely protected sacred mandala where Gaṇeśa both guards the kṣetra and accelerates spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhi-Vināyaka in the eastern sector of Kāśī, and Yama-tīrtha in the western sector.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the verse promises kṣetra-rakṣā (protection) and kṣipra-siddhi (swift success) to sādhakas.