Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

त्रिजगज्जयिनो हेतोस्त्र्यक्षस्याराधनं परम् । को नाराधयति ब्रध्नसारस्य स्मरविद्विषः

Transliteration

trijagajjayino hetostryakṣasyārādhanaṃ param | ko nārādhayati bradhnasārasya smaravidviṣaḥ

Translation

ਤਿੰਨ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਦੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਲਈ ਤ੍ਰਿਨੇਤ੍ਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੀ ਉਪਾਸਨਾ ਹੀ ਪਰਮ ਹੈ। ਕੌਣ ਕਾਮਦੇਵ ਦੇ ਵੈਰੀ, ਤੇਜਸਵੀ ਸਰੂਪ ਵਾਲੇ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੂੰ ਨਾ ਅਰਾਧੇ?

Word by Word

• त्रिजगत्: of the three worlds
• त्रिजगत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular) (समासपूर्वपद); द्विगु-समास: त्रयाणि जगन्ति

• जयिनः: of the conqueror
• जयिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• हेतोः: of the cause/reason
• हेतोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• त्र्यक्षस्य: of the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास: त्रीणि अक्षीणि यस्य (त्र्यक्ष)

• आराधनम्: worship/propitiation
• आराधनम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् आराधनस्य

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• आराधयति: worships/propitiates
• आराधयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+राध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• ब्रध्नसारस्य: of the excellent/brilliant one (epithet of Śiva)
• ब्रध्नसारस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रध्नसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-विशेष्य): ब्रध्नः सारः (श्रेष्ठः)

• स्मरविद्विषः: of the foe of Smara (Kāma)
• स्मरविद्विषः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर+विद्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष: स्मरस्य विद्विट् (द्वेष्टा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Tryakṣa/Śiva worship context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Tryakṣa, radiant (bradhnasāra), stands serene; a symbolic Kāma with bow is subdued/consumed by Śiva’s fiery gaze; devotees worship seeking victory—outer and inner.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Tryakṣa)
• Kāma (Smara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship of Śiva (the Three-eyed) is proclaimed as the highest practice, leading to worldly mastery and spiritual elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the overarching sacred geography where Śiva’s worship is presented as supremely efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana—devotional worship/adoration of Tryakṣa (Śiva), implicitly through pūjā in Kāśī.