Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

गच्छता तिष्ठता वापि स्वपता जाग्रताथवा । काशीत्येष महामंत्रो येन जप्तः सनिर्भयः

Transliteration

gacchatā tiṣṭhatā vāpi svapatā jāgratāthavā | kāśītyeṣa mahāmaṃtro yena japtaḥ sanirbhayaḥ

Translation

నడుస్తూ గానీ నిలుచుని గానీ, నిద్రలో గానీ జాగ్రత్తలో గానీ—‘కాశీ’ అనే ఈ మహామంత్రాన్ని జపించువాడు నిర్భయుడగును।

Word by Word

• गच्छता: while going
• गच्छता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव (सन्दर्भे करण/अवस्थावाचक)

• तिष्ठता: while standing
• तिष्ठता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• स्वपता: while sleeping
• स्वपता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• जाग्रता: while awake
• जाग्रता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or else)

• काशी: ‘Kāśī’
• काशी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद-रूपे

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

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

• महामन्त्रः: great mantra
• महामन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मन्त्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• जप्तः: recited
• जप्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स-निर्भयः: fearless
• स-निर्भयः: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-निर्भयः = निर्भयः सह); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: ‘Kāśī’ nāma as mahāmantra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage/dharma inquirers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee moving through daily life—walking, standing, sleeping—while the word ‘Kāśī’ appears as luminous syllables around him, forming a protective aura (abhaya).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mahāmantra
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unbroken remembrance/japa of the Kāśī name is taught as a direct means to inner fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically through its name elevated as a mahāmantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous japa of the mantra ‘Kāśī’ in all states—moving, resting, sleeping, and waking.