Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

दक्षिणाधूर्दृढा यत्र मखा यत्राभिरक्षकाः । आसनं प्रणवो यत्र गायत्रीपादपीठभूः

Transliteration

dakṣiṇādhūrdṛḍhā yatra makhā yatrābhirakṣakāḥ | āsanaṃ praṇavo yatra gāyatrīpādapīṭhabhūḥ

Translation

तस्मिन् पुण्ये स्थले दक्षिणा दृढा तिष्ठति, यत्र मखाः सुरक्षिताः। यत्रासनं प्रणवोऽस्ति, गायत्र्याः पादपीठभूश्च भूमिरिव विराजते॥

Word by Word

• दक्षिणा: the southern (side/direction)
• दक्षिणा: Adhikarana (Locative context marker via yatra; descriptive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अधूः: sacrifice (adhvara)
• अधूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस रूप (adhūḥ = adhvaraḥ)

• दृढा: firm, strong
• दृढा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• मखाः: sacrifices
• मखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb)

• अभिरक्षकाः: protectors, guardians
• अभिरक्षकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आसनम्: seat
• आसनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणवः: the syllable Oṃ (praṇava)
• प्रणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• गायत्रीपादपीठभूः: the base/footstool of Gāyatrī’s feet
• गायत्रीपादपीठभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गायत्र्याः पादानां पीठभूः = 'base of the feet of Gāyatrī')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Kāśī-kshetra visualized as Veda made city: Oṃ as a radiant throne-seat, the ground patterned as four quarters of Gāyatrī, priests offering dakṣiṇā, and protective deities guarding yajñas.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Gāyatrī
• Kāśī (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a living embodiment of Vedic power—where mantra (Oṃ, Gāyatrī) and yajña-merit naturally abide and are protected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, celebrated through mantra-centric sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it extols yajña-dakṣiṇā and Vedic mantra (Praṇava, Gāyatrī) as intrinsic sanctifiers of the place.