Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रयाणं मंदरात्काशीं वृषभध्वजशूलिनः । जैगीषव्येन संवादो ज्येष्ठस्थाने महेशितुः

Transliteration

prayāṇaṃ maṃdarātkāśīṃ vṛṣabhadhvajaśūlinaḥ | jaigīṣavyena saṃvādo jyeṣṭhasthāne maheśituḥ

Translation

ततः मन्दरात् काशीं वृषभध्वजशूलिनो महेश्वरस्य प्रयाणवृत्तान्तः; ज्येष्ठस्थाने जैगीषव्येन सह संवादश्च कथ्यते।

Word by Word

• प्रयाणम्: the departure/journey
• प्रयाणम्: Karma (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सन्दर्भे विषय-निर्देशः (heading/topic)

• मन्दरात्: from Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (from)

• काशीम्: to Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Destination/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

• वृषभध्वजशूलिनः: of the bull-bannered trident-bearer (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजशूलिनः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभध्वज + शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वृषभध्वजः च शूलिन् च—एक एव)

• जैगीषव्येन: with/by Jaigīṣavya
• जैगीषव्येन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैगीषव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/सह (by/with)

• संवादः: dialogue/conversation
• संवादः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठस्थाने: at the Jyeṣṭha-place (sacred spot)
• ज्येष्ठस्थाने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्येष्ठस्य स्थानम्)

• महेशितुः: of Maheśitṛ (the Great Lord)
• महेशितुः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'महेशितृ' (lord, Śiva)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhasthāna (Maheśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-audience within the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, trident in hand, bull-banner unfurled, traveling from Mandara toward Kāśī; then seated at Jyeṣṭhasthāna in discourse with the ascetic Jaigīṣavya amid banyan trees and ghāṭa silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja, Śūlin)
• Mandara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Jaigīṣavya
• Jyeṣṭhasthāna
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a chosen divine destination of Śiva, making pilgrimage there a theologically charged act of approaching the Lord’s own abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭhasthāna—presented as a key Śaiva sacred spot in Kāśī connected with Maheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse introduces a narrative and a sacred-site dialogue that grounds later prescriptions.