Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अत्र त्वत्स्थापितां मूर्तिं ये भजिष्यंति मानवाः । वाराणस्यां महादेवोत्तरे तेषां कुतो भयम्

Transliteration

atra tvatsthāpitāṃ mūrtiṃ ye bhajiṣyaṃti mānavāḥ | vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevottare teṣāṃ kuto bhayam

Translation

جو لوگ یہاں تمہاری قائم کی ہوئی مورتی کی پوجا کریں گے—وارانسی میں مہادیو کے شمالی جانب—ان کے لیے پھر خوف کہاں رہے گا؟

Word by Word

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• tvatsthāpitām: installed by you
• tvatsthāpitām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्) + sthāpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tvayā sthāpitā) + क्त (PPP)

• mūrtim: image / form
• mūrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhajiṣyanti: will worship / will partake
• bhajiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mānavāḥ: people / humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mahādevottare: in the northern (part) of Mahādeva (temple/area)
• mahādevottare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mahādevasya uttare = to the north of Mahādeva)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• kutaḥ: whence? / how (could there be)?
• kutaḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Arka (Sūrya) (context continuation from previous verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇāditya (north of Mahādeva, Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims worship an image established by Aruṇa, located north of Mahādeva in Vārāṇasī; the verse proclaims that such devotees have no fear.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Aruṇa
• Mūrti (icon)
• Aruṇāditya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship performed at a divinely sanctioned shrine in Kāśī grants protection and fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aruṇāditya image-site in Vārāṇasī, described as being north of Mahādeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana/arcana—devotional worship of the established mūrti at that specific Kāśī location.