Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

विश्वेशराजसदने यः सुधां चित्रमेव वा । कारयेत्तस्य भवनं कैलासचित्रितं भवेत्

Transliteration

viśveśarājasadane yaḥ sudhāṃ citrameva vā | kārayettasya bhavanaṃ kailāsacitritaṃ bhavet

Translation

凡在毗湿韦湿伐罗的王家殿院中施作白灰抹饰（sudhā）或绘饰者——其自宅亦将如凯拉萨（Kailāsa）般庄严华美。

Word by Word

• विश्वेश-राज-सदने: in the royal abode of Viśveśa
• विश्वेश-राज-सदने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक) + सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in the royal abode/temple of Viśveśa)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• सुधाम्: lime-plaster (sudhā)
• सुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चित्रम्: a painting/decoration
• चित्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: कारय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: should cause to be made)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भवनम्: dwelling/house
• भवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कैलास-चित्रितम्: decorated like/with Kailāsa
• कैलास-चित्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चित्र्/√चित्रय् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle: decorated/painted)

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

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-mandira (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans apply fresh white plaster and paint auspicious motifs in the Viśveśvara temple court; Śaiva symbols (trident, crescent, bilva) appear. The patron watches reverently. A visionary transformation shows the patron’s home gleaming like Kailāsa—snowy, radiant, and divine.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material service that beautifies the Lord’s temple is treated as high dharma and returns as divine, Kailāsa-like auspiciousness in one’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The precincts of Viśveśvara’s temple in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commissioning temple upkeep—plastering/whitewashing (sudhā) and/or painting (citra) for Viśveśvara’s sacred complex.