Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अरिष्टं गच्छ पंथास्ते शुभोदर्को भवत्वलम् । आदायाज्ञां विधि मूर्ध्नि ययौ वाराणसीं मुदा

Transliteration

ariṣṭaṃ gaccha paṃthāste śubhodarko bhavatvalam | ādāyājñāṃ vidhi mūrdhni yayau vārāṇasīṃ mudā

Translation

“安然前行吧——愿你的道路无灾无害，并以吉祥为终。”维提（Vidhi）恭敬地将此命令顶戴于首，欢喜地启程前往婆罗那西（Vārāṇasī）。

Word by Word

• ariṣṭam: safe/without harm
• ariṣṭam: Karma/Goal (Object/Goal)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ariṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of goal/benediction)

• gaccha: go
• gaccha: Kriya (Imperative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• panthāḥ: the path
• panthāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: panthan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘ते’ = ‘तव’

• śubha-udarkaḥ: having an auspicious outcome
• śubha-udarkaḥ: Predicate (Qualifier of panthāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + udarka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुभः उदर्कः यस्य/शुभ-उदर्कः)

• bhavatu: may it be
• bhavatu: Kriya (Benediction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• alam: well/enough
• alam: Modifier (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (enough/well)

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु) उपसर्ग: आ-; ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having taken’

• ājñām: command/permission
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vidhi: Vidhī (Brahmā)
• vidhi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhā (धातु √vidhā/√vidh; प्रातिपदिक: विधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (Brahmā)

• mūrdhni: on (his) head
• mūrdhni: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vārāṇasīm: to Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasīm: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-देशः

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करणवाचक-भावः (instrumental of manner)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī/Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vidhi/Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blessing is spoken for safe travel; Brahmā receives the command with reverence (touching it to the head) and departs joyfully toward Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Kāśī is portrayed as divinely sanctioned and inherently auspicious when undertaken with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī as the destination of the cosmic creator, highlighting its supreme sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the emphasis is on receiving divine permission and proceeding with श्रद्धा (reverent intent).