Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

लक्ष्म्या अपि च सौभाग्यं ब्रह्माण्यै कांतिरुत्तमा । शच्यै नित्यनवीनत्वं भवत्या दत्तमीश्वरि

Transliteration

lakṣmyā api ca saubhāgyaṃ brahmāṇyai kāṃtiruttamā | śacyai nityanavīnatvaṃ bhavatyā dattamīśvari

Translation

“لکشمی کی خوش بختی بھی، برہمانی کی اعلیٰ تابانی بھی، اور شچی کی ہمیشہ تازہ جوانی بھی—اے ایشوری، یہ سب کچھ تم ہی نے عطا فرمایا ہے، اے حاکمۂ عالم!”

Word by Word

• लक्ष्म्या: by/through Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्म्या: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

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

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

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karman/Prātipadika-complement (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• ब्रह्माण्यै: to Brahmāṇī
• ब्रह्माण्यै: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), चतुर्थी (dative/4th), एकवचन (singular)

• कान्तिः: splendour, radiance
• कान्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• उत्तमा: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• शच्यै: to Śacī
• शच्यै: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), चतुर्थी (dative/4th), एकवचन (singular)

• नित्यनवीनत्वम्: ever-freshness, perpetual newness
• नित्यनवीनत्वम्: Karman/Prātipadika-complement (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नवीनत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• भवत्या: by you (lady)
• भवत्या: Karaṇa/Kartṛ (Agent in passive/करण-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• ईश्वरि: O Lady, O Goddess
• ईश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Śiva (contextual continuation of address to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Īśvarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva praises Devī: Lakṣmī’s fortune, Brahmāṇī’s radiance, and Śacī’s ever-new youth are gifts from her; a tableau of the three goddesses as symbolic witnesses may appear behind Devī.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvarī (Devī)
• Lakṣmī
• Brahmāṇī
• Śacī (Indrāṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All auspicious qualities in the cosmos are rooted in Śakti; even the gods’ consorts shine through her grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Kāśī is upheld as the sacred realm where Śiva reveals the supremacy of Devī’s śakti and auspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is theological praise (stuti) of Devī’s cosmic bestowal of virtues.