Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

क्षेमको नाम गणपः काश्यां मूर्तिधरः स्वयम् । विश्वेश्वरं सर्वगतं ध्यायेदद्यापि निश्चलः

Transliteration

kṣemako nāma gaṇapaḥ kāśyāṃ mūrtidharaḥ svayam | viśveśvaraṃ sarvagataṃ dhyāyedadyāpi niścalaḥ

Translation

คณะเทพบริวารนามว่า “เกษมกะ” ผู้ทรงกายอยู่เองในกาศี แม้บัดนี้ยังเพ่งภาวนาอย่างแน่วแน่ต่อ “วิศเวศวร” พระผู้เป็นเจ้าผู้แผ่ซ่านไปทั่วสรรพสิ่ง

Word by Word

• क्षेमकः: Kṣemaka (name)
• क्षेमकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेमक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Name-marker (संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name’)

• गणपः: a gaṇa-chief / attendant
• गणपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्तिधरः: embodied / bearing a form
• मूर्तिधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ + अच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुषः: मूर्तिं धरति)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-vishesana (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• विश्वेश्वरम्: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = विश्व + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• सर्वगतम्: all-pervading
• सर्वगतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वगत (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + गत (√गम् + क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/विशेषण-समास: सर्वत्र गतः; विशेषण (विश्वेश्वरम्)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate (upon)
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• अद्यापि: even today / still now
• अद्यापि: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययसमूह (adverbial phrase)

• निश्चलः: steadfast / unmoving
• निश्चलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक) = निः + चल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (स्थिरः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī shrine-space: Kṣemaka-gaṇa, embodied yet otherworldly, seated in padmāsana, eyes half-closed, meditating on Viśveśvara; the liṅga radiates subtle light suggesting ‘sarvagata’ presence filling the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣemaka (gaṇa)
• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Viśveśvara in Kāśī is the all-pervading Śiva; unwavering meditation is the ideal response to divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) of Kāśī, the central Śaiva locus of Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niścala-dhyāna (steadfast meditation) upon Viśveśvara.