Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

विधेश्च गौरवं रक्षंस्तथोरी कृतवान्हरः । जंबूद्वीपे यथा काशी निर्वाणपददा सदा

Transliteration

vidheśca gauravaṃ rakṣaṃstathorī kṛtavānharaḥ | jaṃbūdvīpe yathā kāśī nirvāṇapadadā sadā

Translation

เพื่อพิทักษ์เกียรติแห่งวิธิ (พรหมา) หระ (ศิวะ) จึงยอมรับตามนั้น ดุจดังเมืองกาศีในชมพูทวีป ที่ประทานฐานะแห่งนิรวาณะอยู่เนืองนิตย์

Word by Word

• विधेः: of Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• गौरवम्: honour/respect
• गौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्षन्: protecting/maintaining
• रक्षन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• उरी: assenting/accepting
• उरी: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उरी (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वीकृत्यर्थक (particle: assent/acceptance)

• कृतवान्: did/has done
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Main predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृतवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्तवत्, perfective past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जम्बूद्वीपे: in Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (जम्बू-नामकः द्वीपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• काशी: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्वाणपददा: giver of the state of liberation
• निर्वाणपददा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण + पद + दा (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातुज)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्वाणस्य पदं ददाति इति/निर्वाणपदं ददाति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (काशी-विशेषण)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: always)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-mahātmya audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Hara) stands as protector of Brahmā’s honor, accepting a decision/boon; behind them, Kāśī is visualized as a luminous city on the Gaṅgā, radiating the ‘nirvāṇa-pada’ promise.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Jambūdvīpa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a perpetual liberating kṣetra; honoring divine order and mutual reverence sustains cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as nirvāṇa-pada-dā—ever granting liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated in this verse; it asserts the salvific greatness of Kāśī as a sacred field.