Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

जलाशयानां सर्वेषां प्रतीच्याश्चापि वैदिशः । अधीश्वरः पाशपाणिर्भव सर्वामरप्रियः

Transliteration

jalāśayānāṃ sarveṣāṃ pratīcyāścāpi vaidiśaḥ | adhīśvaraḥ pāśapāṇirbhava sarvāmarapriyaḥ

Translation

“汝当为一切水藏之主；亦当为西方之护持者——手执羂索，为诸天所爱。”

Word by Word

• जलाशयानाम्: of water-reservoirs
• जलाशयानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जले आशयः/जलस्य आशयः)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• प्रतीच्याः: of the western (direction)
• प्रतीच्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also)

• वैदिशः: Vaidiśa (a name/epithet)
• वैदिशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अधीश्वरः: the overlord
• अधीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अधि ईश्वरः = overlord)

• पाशपाणिः: he whose hand holds a noose
• पाशपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (यस्य पाणौ पाशः)

• भव: be (become)
• भव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वामरप्रियः: dear to all the gods
• सर्वामरप्रियः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अमर + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां अमराणां प्रियः)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing grant)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varuṇeśa (contextual, introduced by boon)

Type: kshetra (liṅga-sthāna within Kāśī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boon-bestowing deity addresses Varuṇa: he holds a pāśa (noose), is adored by devas, and is installed as lord over all reservoirs and guardian of the west—suggesting a regal investiture.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa (implied by pāśapāṇi and western guardianship)
• Devas (Amaras)
• Western direction

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority in the cosmos is portrayed as dharmic guardianship—protecting realms and beings under divine command.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting underlies the episode, culminating in a Kāśī liṅga’s fame (Varuṇeśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse confers roles and iconographic identity (pāśapāṇi).