Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

असिश्च वरणा चापि सरितौ यत्र शोभने । द्युनद्योत्तरवाहिन्या मिलितेऽत्र जगद्धिते

Transliteration

asiśca varaṇā cāpi saritau yatra śobhane | dyunadyottaravāhinyā milite'tra jagaddhite

Translation

ณ สถานที่อันงดงามนี้ แม่น้ำอสิและวรณาได้มาบรรจบกับสายน้ำทิพย์ที่ไหลสู่ทิศเหนือ; สังฆมนี้เพื่อเกื้อกูลสรรพโลก

Word by Word

• असिः: Asi (river)
• असिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वरणा: Varaṇā (river)
• वरणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• सरितौ: the two rivers
• सरितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन

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

• शोभने: in the beautiful (place)
• शोभने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied 'स्थाने/क्षेत्रे')

• द्युनदी: Dyunadī (river)
• द्युनदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तरवाहिन्या: with (the river) flowing northward
• उत्तरवाहिन्या: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तरवाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying dyunadī)

• मिलिते: having met; conjoined
• मिलिते: Kriya (State/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + मिलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; (सरितौ) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• जगद्धिते: O benefactor of the world
• जगद्धिते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (jagataḥ hitam)

Speaker

Śiva-gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asi–Varuṇā–Gaṅgā saṅgama (Kāśī boundary tīrtha)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river confluence: Asi and Varuṇā as smaller streams joining the broad Gaṅgā, with Kāśī’s ghats and temples rising behind; the Gaṅgā’s current subtly shown as northward, signifying celestial auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Asi River
• Varaṇā River
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred confluences embody cosmic auspiciousness; Kāśī’s river-geometry is portrayed as world-benefiting and spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Varanasi, especially the sacred zone defined by the Asi and Varaṇā rivers meeting the Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit; such confluences typically imply snāna (holy bathing) and tirtha-sevā, but the verse itself states only the māhātmya.