Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

विश्वेशितुः परेधाम्नि सीम्नि स्वर्गापवर्गयोः । स्वर्धुनी लोलकल्लोला नित्यक्षालित भूतले

Transliteration

viśveśituḥ paredhāmni sīmni svargāpavargayoḥ | svardhunī lolakallolā nityakṣālita bhūtale

Translation

ในธามอันสูงสุดของวิศเวศวร ณ ชายแดนระหว่างสวรรค์กับอปวรรคะ (ความหลุดพ้น) ที่นั่นสวรธุนีคือพระคงคา มีคลื่นระริกไม่หยุด คอยชำระผืนแผ่นดินอยู่เนืองนิตย์

Word by Word

• विश्वेशितुः: of the Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशितुः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-ईशितृ (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + ईशितृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईशिता)

• परेधाम्नि: in the supreme abode
• परेधाम्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-धामन् (प्रातिपदिक; पर + धामन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परं धाम)

• सीम्नि: on the boundary/limit
• सीम्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• स्वर्गापवर्गयोः: of heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गापवर्गयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-अपवर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + अपवर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्वर्गश्च अपवर्गश्च)

• स्वर्धुनी: the heavenly river (Gaṅgā)
• स्वर्धुनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्धुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लोलकल्लोला: having restless waves
• लोलकल्लोला: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोल-कल्लोल (प्रातिपदिक; लोल + कल्लोल)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (लोलाः कल्लोलाः यस्याः/या)

• नित्यकṣालित: ever-washed/constantly cleansed
• नित्यकṣालित: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य-√क्षल् (धातु) → क्षालित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन-विशेषणरूपेण; अव्ययीभावः (नित्यं क्षालितम्) भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• भूतले: on the earth's surface
• भूतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Svargadvārā/Avimukta riverfront implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī riverscape: Viśveśvara’s ‘supreme abode’ suggested by a radiant temple spire; Gaṅgā’s playful waves (lola-kallolā) wash the ghats; above, a subtle threshold line between ‘svarga’ and ‘apavarga’ depicted as two luminous realms meeting over the city.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara (Śiva)
• Kāśī
• Gaṅgā (Svardhunī)
• Svarga
• Apavarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a liminal, supremely sacred zone where the soul turns from heavenly merit toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī under Viśveśvara’s lordship, sanctified by the Gaṅgā (Svardhunī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the imagery supports the theology of purification through proximity to Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara in Kāśī.