Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्येऽत्र ते लोके वसंत्युज्ज्वलतेजसः । गोकर्णेशस्य सरसः प्रत्यक्तीरे प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

prājāpatye'tra te loke vasaṃtyujjvalatejasaḥ | gokarṇeśasya sarasaḥ pratyaktīre pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

یہاں اس پراجاپتیہ لوک میں روشن تجلّی والے پاکیزہ لوگ بستے ہیں۔ یہ مقدّس مقام گوکرنیش کے سرور کے مغربی کنارے پر قائم ہے۔

Word by Word

• प्राजापत्ये: in the Prajāpatya (world/region)
• प्राजापत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Pronoun, nominative plural

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वसन्ति: dwell, reside
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• उज्ज्वलतेजसः: of brilliant splendor
• उज्ज्वलतेजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्ज्वल + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying 'ते'

• गोकर्णेशस्य: of Gokarṇeśa
• गोकर्णेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण + ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• सरसः: of the lake
• सरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रत्यक्तीरे: on the western bank
• प्रत्यक्तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक् + तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established, situated
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with implied neuter subject (e.g., 'स्थानम्/लिङ्गम्')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇeśa-sarasa (pratyak-tīra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at a serene lake of Gokarṇeśa in Kāśī; on the western bank luminous sages/tejasvins appear as subtle presences; the bank is marked by small shrines and trees, with a calm, sanctified atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Prājāpatya-loka
• Gokarṇeśa
• Gokarṇeśa-sarasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text maps holiness onto geography: radiant spiritual attainments are tied to dwelling and worship in Śiva’s marked places in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇeśa-sarasa (the lake/pond of Gokarṇeśa) and its western bank within Kāśī’s Avimukta region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; residence/association with the sacred bank and site is implied as meritorious.