Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

नाद्यापि नीलिमानंतं परित्यजति कर्हिचित् । नीराजनाय ये दीपास्तदा सर्वे प्रबोधिताः

Transliteration

nādyāpi nīlimānaṃtaṃ parityajati karhicit | nīrājanāya ye dīpāstadā sarve prabodhitāḥ

Translation

即便那时，深沉的湛蓝也未曾片刻离去；而一切用于尼罗阇那（ārati）之灯皆被点燃，焕然生辉。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• adyāpi: even today/still
• adyāpi: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय-समूहः; api = अपि (emphatic)

• nīlimānantam: the end/limit of blueness
• nīlimānantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīlimā (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (nīlimāyāḥ antaḥ)

• parityajati: abandons, leaves
• parityajati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः परि-

• karhicit: ever, at any time
• karhicit: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (at any time/ever)

• nīrājanāya: for ārati (waving of lights)
• nīrājanāya: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīrājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ (for the purpose of)

• ye: which/that (those)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• dīpāḥ: lamps
• dīpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• prabodhitāḥ: were kindled/awakened
• prabodhitāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabodhita (कृदन्त; √budh बुध् + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (mune)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Deep blue night over Kāśī that never seems to fade; rows of ārati lamps suddenly blaze to life, as if ‘awakened’, illuminating faces, temple spires, and river mist.

Characters & Entities

• Dīpas (lamps)
• Nīrājana/Ārati
• Śiva (context)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Light offered in devotion (ārati) signifies awakening—turning darkness into sacred radiance through worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied, portrayed as a city of continual worship where lamps blaze for Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nīrājana/ārati with lamps (dīpa) is explicitly referenced as part of the celebration.