Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कथं च भगवान्विष्णुरंतरात्मा जगत्पतिः । सर्वेषां जगतां पाता कर्ता हर्ता च लीलया

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca bhagavānviṣṇuraṃtarātmā jagatpatiḥ | sarveṣāṃ jagatāṃ pātā kartā hartā ca līlayā

Translation

แล้วเหตุใดพระวิษณุผู้เป็นอันตราตมันและเป็นเจ้าแห่งจักรวาล ผู้ทรงคุ้มครองโลกทั้งปวง และทรงสร้างกับทรงถอนคืนด้วยลีลา จึงเกี่ยวเนื่องกับมหิมาแห่งตีรถะนี้?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Query/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (how)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अन्तरात्मा: the inner Self
• अन्तरात्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्तरः आत्मा)

• जगत्पतिः: Lord of the world
• जगत्पतिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जगतः पतिः)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• जगताम्: of worlds/beings
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पाता: protector
• पाता: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पा (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तरि (agent noun: protector)

• कर्ता: creator/doer
• कर्ता: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तरि

• हर्ता: remover/destroyer
• हर्ता: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृ (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तरि

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• लीलया: by (his) play/sport
• लीलया: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya (continuing his inquiry to Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada-tīrtha (context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) addressed; questioner continues

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A theological tableau: Viṣṇu as cosmic Lord hovering above Kāśī’s riverfront, with subtle imagery of creation and dissolution (lotus, cosmic waters), while the tīrtha below shines as a point of contact between cosmos and city.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Antarātman
• Jagatpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision sees the Supreme as both immanent (antarātman) and sovereign (jagatpati), whose cosmic functions unfold as līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question is asked in the Pañcanada Tīrtha context, preparing to explain how Viṣṇu’s presence or act elevates that Kāśī tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal framing that precedes the tīrtha’s narrative.