Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

भोगभूमिरियं प्रोक्ता श्रेयो विनिमयार्जिता । भुज्यते त्वद्विधैर्लोकैस्तीर्थाभित्यक्त देहकैः

Transliteration

bhogabhūmiriyaṃ proktā śreyo vinimayārjitā | bhujyate tvadvidhairlokaistīrthābhityakta dehakaiḥ

Translation

هذه تُعلَن «أرضَ التمتّع»، كأنها نِيلَت بمبادلةٍ لخيرٍ روحيٍّ أسمى؛ ولا يذوقها إلا أمثالُك من الكائنات، ممّن طرحوا الجسد عند تيرثا (tīrtha) مقدّس.

Word by Word

• भोगभूमिः: the land of enjoyment
• भोगभूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भोगस्य भूमिः)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• प्रोक्ता: is said/called
• प्रोक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• श्रेयः: merit, spiritual good
• श्रेयः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विनिमयार्जिता: obtained in exchange (for merit)
• विनिमयार्जिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिमय (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (कृदन्ताधारित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (विनिमयेन अर्जिता) विशेषण (भोगभूमेः)

• भुज्यते: is enjoyed
• भुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• त्वद्विधैः: by people like you
• त्वद्विधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्वद्विधः = ‘like you’)

• लोकैः: by people
• लोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तीर्थाभित्यक्तदेहकैः: by those who have abandoned the body at a sacred place
• तीर्थाभित्यक्तदेहकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि (उपसर्ग) + त्यक्त (कृदन्त) + देहक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे अभित्यक्तः देहकः येषाम्) विशेषण (लोकानाम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Generic tīrtha (contextual to Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha doctrine; often culminating in Avimukta/Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a dvija

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sacred ford relinquishing the body peacefully; above, a luminous path leading to a splendid ‘bhoga-bhūmi’, while a subtler upward radiance hints at the higher śreyas not chosen—visualizing ‘vinimaya’ (exchange).

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Bhogabhūmi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even heavenly enjoyment is secondary—true śreyas is higher; tīrtha-linked merit can yield reward-realms, but the text hints that the wise seek the supreme good beyond enjoyment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the principle of tīrtha-māhātmya (the sanctity of holy places), within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s overarching glorification of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it upholds tīrtha-sevā and the sanctity of dying/renouncing the body in a holy place, though no step-by-step ritual is specified.