Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

असिश्च वरणा चापि सरितौ यत्र शोभने । द्युनद्योत्तरवाहिन्या मिलितेऽत्र जगद्धिते

Transliteration

asiśca varaṇā cāpi saritau yatra śobhane | dyunadyottaravāhinyā milite'tra jagaddhite

Translation

Dito, sa marikit na pook na ito, nagtatagpo ang mga ilog na Asi at Varaṇā, kasama ng makalangit na ilog na dumadaloy pahilaga—isang pagsasanib na para sa kapakanan ng daigdig.

Word by Word

• असिः: Asi (river)
• असिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वरणा: Varaṇā (river)
• वरणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• सरितौ: the two rivers
• सरितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• शोभने: in the beautiful (place)
• शोभने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied 'स्थाने/क्षेत्रे')

• द्युनदी: Dyunadī (river)
• द्युनदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तरवाहिन्या: with (the river) flowing northward
• उत्तरवाहिन्या: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तरवाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying dyunadī)

• मिलिते: having met; conjoined
• मिलिते: Kriya (State/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + मिलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; (सरितौ) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• जगद्धिते: O benefactor of the world
• जगद्धिते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (jagataḥ hitam)

Speaker

Śiva-gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asi–Varuṇā–Gaṅgā saṅgama (Kāśī boundary tīrtha)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river confluence: Asi and Varuṇā as smaller streams joining the broad Gaṅgā, with Kāśī’s ghats and temples rising behind; the Gaṅgā’s current subtly shown as northward, signifying celestial auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Asi River
• Varaṇā River
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred confluences embody cosmic auspiciousness; Kāśī’s river-geometry is portrayed as world-benefiting and spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Varanasi, especially the sacred zone defined by the Asi and Varaṇā rivers meeting the Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit; such confluences typically imply snāna (holy bathing) and tirtha-sevā, but the verse itself states only the māhātmya.