Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

कुरु रक्षां महादेव ज्येष्ठस्थानस्य सर्वदा । अन्येभ्योप्युपसर्गेभ्यो रक्ष नस्तीर्थवासिनः

Transliteration

kuru rakṣāṃ mahādeva jyeṣṭhasthānasya sarvadā | anyebhyopyupasargebhyo rakṣa nastīrthavāsinaḥ

Translation

ఓ మహాదేవా, ఈ జ్యేష్ఠస్థానాన్ని సదా రక్షించుము; మరియు ఇతర ఉపసర్గాల నుండీ మమ్మల్ని—ఈ తీర్థవాసులను—కాపాడుము.

Word by Word

• कुरु: do, make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रक्षाम्: protection
• रक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठस्थानस्य: of the chief place (Jyeṣṭhasthāna)
• ज्येष्ठस्थानस्य: Sambandha (genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयवत् (ज्येष्ठं स्थानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• अन्येभ्यः: from other
• अन्येभ्यः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Nipāta (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (particle: also/even)

• उपसर्गेभ्यः: from afflictions/attacks
• उपसर्गेभ्यः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: us, for us
• नः: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• तीर्थवासिनः: those dwelling at the sacred ford (pilgrims/residents)
• तीर्थवासिनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे वासिनः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Tapodhanas/Sages (deduced from the direct petition continuing from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāghreśa / jyēṣṭhasthāna within Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages request Mahādeva to guard the ancient sacred seat and all tīrtha-dwellers from afflictions; Śiva stands as kṣetra-pāla, the atmosphere calming after earlier alarm.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Tīrtha
• Jyeṣṭhasthāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places endure by divine guardianship; residents and pilgrims seek Śiva’s continual protection from all forms of adversity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s ‘jyeṣṭhasthāna’—presented as an ancient, preeminent sacred seat within the tīrtha landscape of Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective supplication (rakṣā-prārthanā) is expressed; no specific vrata/dāna/snānā instruction appears in this verse.