Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अत्र त्वत्स्थापितां मूर्तिं ये भजिष्यंति मानवाः । वाराणस्यां महादेवोत्तरे तेषां कुतो भयम्

Transliteration

atra tvatsthāpitāṃ mūrtiṃ ye bhajiṣyaṃti mānavāḥ | vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevottare teṣāṃ kuto bhayam

Translation

ବାରାଣସୀରେ ମହାଦେବଙ୍କ ଉତ୍ତର ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ତୁମେ ସ୍ଥାପିତ କରିଥିବା ଏହି ମୂର୍ତ୍ତିକୁ ଯେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ଏଠାରେ ଭଜନ-ପୂଜନ କରିବେ, ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଭୟ କେଉଁଠୁ ହେବ?

Word by Word

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• tvatsthāpitām: installed by you
• tvatsthāpitām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्) + sthāpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tvayā sthāpitā) + क्त (PPP)

• mūrtim: image / form
• mūrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhajiṣyanti: will worship / will partake
• bhajiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mānavāḥ: people / humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• mahādevottare: in the northern (part) of Mahādeva (temple/area)
• mahādevottare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mahādevasya uttare = to the north of Mahādeva)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• kutaḥ: whence? / how (could there be)?
• kutaḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Arka (Sūrya) (context continuation from previous verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇāditya (north of Mahādeva, Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims worship an image established by Aruṇa, located north of Mahādeva in Vārāṇasī; the verse proclaims that such devotees have no fear.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Aruṇa
• Mūrti (icon)
• Aruṇāditya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship performed at a divinely sanctioned shrine in Kāśī grants protection and fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aruṇāditya image-site in Vārāṇasī, described as being north of Mahādeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana/arcana—devotional worship of the established mūrti at that specific Kāśī location.