Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततोन्यल्ललितातीर्थं गंगाकेशवसन्निधौ । तत्रास्ति ललिता देवी क्षेत्ररक्षाकरी परा

Transliteration

tatonyallalitātīrthaṃ gaṃgākeśavasannidhau | tatrāsti lalitā devī kṣetrarakṣākarī parā

Translation

اس کے بعد گنگا اور کیشو (وشنو) کے قرب میں ایک اور تیرتھ ہے—للتا تیرتھ۔ وہاں دیوی للتا کا واس ہے، جو اس مقدس کھیتر (کاشی) کی اعلیٰ محافظہ ہے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from there/thereafter)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषण

• ललिता-तीर्थम्: the Lalitā sacred ford
• ललिता-तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalitā + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ललितायाः तीर्थम्’

• गंगा-केशव-सन्निधौ: in the vicinity of Gaṅgā and Keśava
• गंगा-केशव-सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + keśava + sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘गंगायाः केशवस्य च सन्निधौ’ (near Gaṅgā and Keśava)

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

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ललिता: Lalitā
• ललिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षेत्र-रक्षा-करī: protector of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्र-रक्षा-करī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣetra + rakṣā + karī (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रस्य रक्षा करोति’

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देवी’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lalitā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside ford in Kāśī: Lalitā-tīrtha with steps to the Gaṅgā; nearby a Keśava (Viṣṇu) presence; Lalitā Devī appears as a radiant guardian, watching over pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Lalitā-tīrtha
• Gaṅgā
• Keśava
• Lalitā Devī
• Kāśī (Kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a divinely protected sacred landscape, guarded by specific goddesses whose presence sanctifies and preserves the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lalitā-tīrtha in Kāśī, situated near the Gaṅgā and the presence of Keśava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse identifies the tīrtha and the presiding deity Lalitā as the kṣetra’s supreme protectress.