Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

गंगा विश्वेश्वरः काशी जागर्ति त्रितयं यतः । तत्र नैःश्रेयसी लक्ष्मीर्लभ्यते चित्रमत्र किम्

Transliteration

gaṃgā viśveśvaraḥ kāśī jāgarti tritayaṃ yataḥ | tatra naiḥśreyasī lakṣmīrlabhyate citramatra kim

Translation

جہاں گنگا، وِشوَیشور اور کاشی—یہ تثلیث سدا بیدار رہتی ہے—وہیں نَیَہ شریَس (اعلیٰ فلاح) کی لکشمی حاصل ہوتی ہے؛ اس میں تعجب کیا؟

Word by Word

• gaṃgā: Gaṅgā
• gaṃgā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• viśveśvaraḥ: Viśveśvara (Lord of all)
• viśveśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jāgarti: is awake / remains vigilant
• jāgarti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jāgar (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• tritayam: the triad (threefold set)
• tritayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tritaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/wherefrom)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• naiḥśreyasī: leading to the highest good (final beatitude)
• naiḥśreyasī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśreyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• lakṣmīḥ: fortune, prosperity
• lakṣmīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• labhyate: is obtained
• labhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• citram: a wonder
• citram: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भावे ‘wonder’

• atra: here, in this case
• atra: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tritaya (Gaṅgā–Viśveśvara–Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych composition: left—Gaṅgā as living goddess-river; center—Viśveśvara liṅga in sanctum with lamps; right—Kāśī as a radiant city-personification. Above them, a motif of open, unblinking eyes signifying ‘jāgarti’ (ever-awake).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī
• Naiḥśreyasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī grants the highest good because Gaṅgā, Śiva as Viśveśvara, and the sacred city itself form an ever-potent triad.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī with Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara (Kāśī Viśvanātha), presented as a unified sacred complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse states the doctrinal basis for naiḥśreyasa through the triad’s presence.