Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

वैरोचनेश्वरश्चैष पुरः प्रह्लादकेशवात् । बलिकेशवनामासावेष नारदकेशवः

Transliteration

vairocaneśvaraścaiṣa puraḥ prahlādakeśavāt | balikeśavanāmāsāveṣa nāradakeśavaḥ

Translation

ଏହି ପବିତ୍ର ସ୍ଥାନଟି ବୈରୋଚନେଶ୍ୱର। ପ୍ରହ୍ଲାଦ-କେଶବଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଏହି କେଶବ ‘ବଳି-କେଶବ’ ନାମରେ ସ୍ଥିତ, ଏଠାରେ ‘ନାରଦ-କେଶବ’ ଭାବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ।

Word by Word

• वैरोचनेश्वरः: Lord of Virocana (Vairocaneśvara)
• वैरोचनेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैरोचन-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वैरोचनस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरः: in front; before
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• प्रह्लादकेशवात्: from Prahlāda-Keśava
• प्रह्लादकेशवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद-केशव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रह्लादस्य केशवः)

• बलिकेशवनामा: named ‘Bali-Keśava’
• बलिकेशवनामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलि-केशव-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत्-विशेषणार्थे; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलिकेशव इति नाम यस्य)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नारदकेशवः: Nārada-Keśava
• नारदकेशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद-केशव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारदस्य केशवः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vairocaneśvara–Bali/Nārada-Keśava cluster (in front of Prahlāda-Keśava)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrow Kāśī lane opening to a small shrine cluster: a Śiva-liṅga labeled Vairocaneśvara and, facing it, a Viṣṇu image of Keśava with attendants evoking Bali and Nārada; pilgrims point and recite names in order.

Characters & Entities

• Vairocaneśvara
• Prahlāda-Keśava
• Bali-Keśava
• Nārada-Keśava
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a sacred landscape where Śiva and Viṣṇu shrines coexist, guiding devotees through interconnected holy stations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local cluster around Vairocaneśvara and the Keśava shrine called Bali-Keśava (also Nārada-Keśava), situated near Prahlāda-Keśava in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse primarily maps sacred locations and names for devotional remembrance and pilgrimage.