Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

भुक्तेर्मुक्तेरिहान्यत्र नान्यो दाता जनार्दनात् । तस्माच्चतुर्भुजो नित्यं सेवनीयः सुखेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

bhuktermukterihānyatra nānyo dātā janārdanāt | tasmāccaturbhujo nityaṃ sevanīyaḥ sukhepsubhiḥ

Translation

เพื่อความรื่นรมย์และเพื่อโมกษะ—ทั้งในโลกนี้และโลกหน้า—ไม่มีผู้ประทานอื่นใดนอกจากชนารทนะ ดังนั้นผู้แสวงหาสุขอันแท้พึงบำเพ็ญรับใช้พระผู้เป็นเจ้าสี่กรเป็นนิตย์

Word by Word

• भुक्तेः: of enjoyment
• भुक्तेः: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘भुक्तेः ... दाता’ (भुक्तेः = भोगस्य)

• मुक्तेः: of liberation
• मुक्तेः: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘भुक्तेः’ इत्यनेन सह समुच्चयः

• इह: here
• इह: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (here)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (elsewhere)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘दाता’ इति सह समानाधिकरणम्

• दाता: giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि तृन्-प्रत्यय (agent noun)

• जनार्दनात्: than Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान/तुलना (than Janārdana)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-तस्मात्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• चतुर्भुजः: the four-armed one
• चतुर्भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिरूपेण प्रसिद्धः, परन्तु रूपतः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (चत्वारो भुजाः यस्य) ‘जनार्दनः’ इति विशेषणम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (always)

• सेवनीयः: to be served; worthy of worship
• सेवनीयः: Vidhi (कर्तव्यता/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भाव्य/कर्तव्य (gerundive -anīya) ‘सेवितव्यः’

• सुखेप्सुभिः: by those who seek happiness
• सुखेप्सुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + ईप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुखम् ईप्सवः) करण/सहायक (by those who desire happiness)

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from immediate narrative context in the same adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī devotee performs sevā before a four-armed Janārdana icon—lamp, flowers, tulasī—while the Gaṅgā flows behind; the deity’s four arms clearly display śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Caturbhuja (Four-armed Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All human aims—from enjoyment to liberation—are ultimately granted by Janārdana; sustained service (sevā) to him is advised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kashi Mahatmya) framework, but the verse itself does not name a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/worship: continual service to the four-armed Viṣṇu.