Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

केदारेशं सकृद्दृष्ट्वा देवि मेऽनुचरो भवेत् । तस्मात्काश्यां प्रयत्नेन केदारेशं विलोकयेत्

Transliteration

kedāreśaṃ sakṛddṛṣṭvā devi me'nucaro bhavet | tasmātkāśyāṃ prayatnena kedāreśaṃ vilokayet

Translation

女神啊，凡仅一见凯达雷沙（Kedāreśa），便成我之随从。因此在迦尸（Kāśī），当竭力求得瞻礼凯达雷沙之福见。

Word by Word

• केदारेशम्: Lord Kedāreśa
• केदारेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/परिमाण-अव्यय (adverb of frequency)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having seen)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; स्वाम्यर्थ (genitive: my)

• अनुचरः: attendant, follower
• अनुचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (therefore/from that reason)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (place)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (means/manner)

• केदारेशम्: Lord Kedāreśa
• केदारेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• विलोकयेत्: should behold
• विलोकयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya; direct address to Devī appears within narrative praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāreśa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Devī, pointing toward a Kedāreśa shrine in Kāśī; a pilgrim approaches and, upon a single glance, is shown as joining Śiva’s retinue.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kedāreśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single, sincere darśana of Śiva at a great kṣetra can transform one’s spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāreśvara in Kāśī, highlighted as a must-see linga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seeking darśana—making deliberate effort to behold Kedāreśvara in Kāśī.