Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ऋतंभरर्द्धिदात्री च ऋक्स्वरूपा ऋजुप्रिया । ऋक्षमार्गवहर्क्षार्चिरृजुमार्गप्रदर्शिनी

Transliteration

ṛtaṃbhararddhidātrī ca ṛksvarūpā ṛjupriyā | ṛkṣamārgavaharkṣārcirṛjumārgapradarśinī

Translation

آپ رِتَمبھرا ہیں—حق کو تھامنے والی—اور روحانی خوشحالی عطا کرنے والی؛ آپ خود رِک (ویدی منتر) کی صورت ہیں اور سیدھی راہ آپ کو محبوب ہے۔ آپ ستاروں کے راستے کو بہاتی ہیں؛ آپ ہی ان کی تابانی ہیں، اور آپ ہی راستِ مستقیم کو نمایاں کرنے والی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ऋतंभरा: bearer of truth
• ऋतंभरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) + भरा (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √भृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

• ऋद्धिदात्री: giver of prosperity
• ऋद्धिदात्री: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + दात्री (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction/particle)

• ऋक्स्वरूपा: having the form of Ṛk (Vedic hymn)
• ऋक्स्वरूपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

• ऋजुप्रिया: fond of the straight/upright
• ऋजुप्रिया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

• ऋक्षमार्गवहा: carrying along the path of the stars/constellations
• ऋक्षमार्गवहा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + वहा (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √वह्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

• ऋक्षार्चिः: star-flame, stellar radiance
• ऋक्षार्चिः: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (अर्चिस्), प्रथमा, एकवचन (n./m., nominative, singular)

• ऋजुमार्गप्रदर्शिनी: one who shows the straight path
• ऋजुमार्गप्रदर्शिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदर्शिनी (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √दृश् with pra-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine, nominative, singular; adjective)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā (ṛta-bhṛt, ṛk-svarūpā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kṣetra-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā appears as a luminous scripture: Vedic syllables shimmer on her surface; above, a band of constellations forms a celestial road, while a straight golden path leads from the ghāṭa into light, symbolizing ṛju-mārga.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛk (Vedic hymn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is the straight path grounded in ṛta (cosmic truth) and Vedic insight, leading to true prosperity and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the contextual kṣetra whose sanctity is harmonized with Vedic authority and cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes Vedic-form devotion and righteous, direct conduct.