Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तत्पार्श्वतो हि शाखेशो विशाखेशश्च तत्र वै । नैगमेयेश्वरस्तत्र येन्ये नंद्यादयो गणाः

Transliteration

tatpārśvato hi śākheśo viśākheśaśca tatra vai | naigameyeśvarastatra yenye naṃdyādayo gaṇāḥ

Translation

اس مقدّس مقام کے دونوں جانب شاخیش اور وِشاخیش ہیں؛ اور وہیں نَیگَمیَیشور بھی ہے—اور نندی وغیرہ دیگر گن اپنے ساتھیوں سمیت موجود ہیں۔

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम्; (genitive singular neuter)

• पार्श्वतः: at the side (nearby)
• पार्श्वतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial: 'from/at the side of')

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• शाखेशः: Lord of Śākhā (Śākheśa)
• शाखेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाखायाः ईशः)

• विशाखेशः: Lord of Viśākhā (Viśākheśa)
• विशाखेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विशाखायाः ईशः)

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

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नैगमेयेश्वरः: Lord Naigameya (Naigameyeśvara)
• नैगमेयेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैगमेय (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नैगमेयस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative pronoun)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नन्द्यादयः: Nandi and others
• नन्द्यादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहारार्थे 'आदि' (nandy-ādayaḥ = Nandi and others)

• गणाः: groups/attendants
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākheśa–Viśākheśa–Naigameyeśvara (gaṇa-liṅga cluster)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred Kāśī lane/precinct with a central shrine implied, flanked by two small liṅga-shrines labeled Śākheśa and Viśākheśa; nearby a third shrine Naigameyeśvara; gaṇas like Nandī present as stone icons and subtle divine attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śākheśa
• Viśākheśa
• Naigameyeśvara
• Nandī
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as protected and sanctified by Śiva’s forms and attendants, making the whole region a living field of Śaiva grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Kāśī sacred zone marked by the liṅgas Śākheśa, Viśākheśa, and Naigameyeśvara, attended by Nandī and other gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse primarily identifies the presiding liṅgas and Śiva’s gaṇas associated with the place.