Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

रहस्यमिति विज्ञाय वाराणस्या गणेश्वरैः । सब्रह्मयोगिनी ब्रध्रैः स्थितं तत्रैव नान्यथा

Transliteration

rahasyamiti vijñāya vārāṇasyā gaṇeśvaraiḥ | sabrahmayoginī bradhraiḥ sthitaṃ tatraiva nānyathā

Translation

知此为神圣秘奥，婆罗那西之众伽那主宰，与梵天及诸长老瑜伽女神同在，唯安住于彼处，别无他方。

Word by Word

• रहस्यम्: a secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having known’

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• गण-ईश्वरैः: by the lords of the gaṇas
• गण-ईश्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् ईश्वराः)

• स-ब्रह्म-योगिनी: the Brahma-associated yoginī
• स-ब्रह्म-योगिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणा सह/ब्रह्मसम्बद्धा योगिनी)

• ब्रध्रैः: by the bradhra-s (a class/group)
• ब्रध्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• स्थितम्: is established/placed
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal Kāśīkhaṇḍa interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hidden, sanctified inner Kāśī: gaṇa-lords stand as guardians at thresholds; Brahmā and venerable yoginīs sit in yogic poise, all anchored to the city’s luminous axis around Shiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Gaṇeśvaras (Śiva’s gaṇas)
• Brahmā
• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī holds an exceptional, secret sanctity that draws and anchors divine and yogic powers uniquely in that place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, presented as the special locus where gaṇas and yoginīs are established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes Kāśī’s rahasya (esoteric greatness) and divine presence.