Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वरणायास्तटे रम्ये दृष्ट्वा वासिष्ठमीश्वम् । क्रत्वीश्वरं च तत्रैव लभते वसतिं त्विह

Transliteration

varaṇāyāstaṭe ramye dṛṣṭvā vāsiṣṭhamīśvam | kratvīśvaraṃ ca tatraiva labhate vasatiṃ tviha

Translation

ورَنا کے خوشنما کنارے پر واسیِشٹھِیشور کے درشن کر کے، اور وہیں کرتوِیشور کو بھی دیکھ کر، انسان اسی دنیا میں سکونت اور قرارِ خیر حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• वरणायाः: of (the river) Varaṇā
• वरणायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• रम्ये: beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तटे)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund)

• वासिष्ठम्: Vāsiṣṭha (related to Vasiṣṭha)
• वासिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ईश्वम्: the Lord (Īśvara)
• ईश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्व (प्रातिपदिक; ईश्वर-शब्दस्य रूपान्तर/संक्षेप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘ईश्वरम्’ इत्यर्थे

• क्रत्वीश्वरम्: the Lord of sacrifices
• क्रत्वीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = क्रतु + ईश्वर (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्रतोः ईश्वरः)

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• वसतिम्: dwelling, residence
• वसतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsiṣṭheśvara and Kratvīśvara (Varaṇā-taṭa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm riverbank of the Varaṇā with steps/ghāṭa-like edges; two small shrines—Vāsiṣṭheśvara and Kratvīśvara—stand near water; pilgrims approach at dawn with offerings; the river reflects soft light, suggesting stability and refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Varaṇā river
• Vāsiṣṭheśvara
• Kratvīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s river-banks and liṅgas are portrayed as immediately bestowing stability and auspicious settlement through darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Varaṇā riverbank in Kāśī, with Vāsiṣṭheśvara and Kratvīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of the two liṅgas; no additional vrata, dāna, or snāna is specified in this verse.