Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

गच्छता तिष्ठता वापि स्वपता जाग्रताथवा । काशीत्येष महामंत्रो येन जप्तः सनिर्भयः

Transliteration

gacchatā tiṣṭhatā vāpi svapatā jāgratāthavā | kāśītyeṣa mahāmaṃtro yena japtaḥ sanirbhayaḥ

Translation

چلتے ہوئے یا کھڑے، سوتے ہوئے یا جاگتے—جو کوئی اس مہا منتر ‘کاشی’ کا جپ کرے، وہ بے خوف ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• गच्छता: while going
• गच्छता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव (सन्दर्भे करण/अवस्थावाचक)

• तिष्ठता: while standing
• तिष्ठता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• स्वपता: while sleeping
• स्वपता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• जाग्रता: while awake
• जाग्रता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or else)

• काशी: ‘Kāśī’
• काशी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद-रूपे

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महामन्त्रः: great mantra
• महामन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मन्त्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• जप्तः: recited
• जप्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स-निर्भयः: fearless
• स-निर्भयः: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-निर्भयः = निर्भयः सह); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: ‘Kāśī’ nāma as mahāmantra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage/dharma inquirers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee moving through daily life—walking, standing, sleeping—while the word ‘Kāśī’ appears as luminous syllables around him, forming a protective aura (abhaya).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mahāmantra
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unbroken remembrance/japa of the Kāśī name is taught as a direct means to inner fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically through its name elevated as a mahāmantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous japa of the mantra ‘Kāśī’ in all states—moving, resting, sleeping, and waking.