Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मया न मेने ममजन्मभूमिका वियोगजन्मा परिदाघईशितः । अवाप्यकाशीं परितः प्रशांतिदां समस्तसंतापविघातहेतुकाम्

Transliteration

mayā na mene mamajanmabhūmikā viyogajanmā paridāghaīśitaḥ | avāpyakāśīṃ paritaḥ praśāṃtidāṃ samastasaṃtāpavighātahetukām

Translation

ما ظننتُ أن لهيب الأسى المولود من فراق موطن مولدي يكون بهذه الغلبة؛ إذ إن بلوغ كاشي، واهبة السكينة التامّة، يصير هو بعينه سببًا لتحطيم كل صنوف المعاناة.

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• mene: (I) considered/thought
• mene: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (मन्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg perfect (he/it thought/considered)

• mama-janma-bhūmikā: my birthplace (as subject)
• mama-janma-bhūmikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mama (asmad-षष्ठी) + janma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘मम जन्मभूमिका’ = my birthplace/ground of birth; Feminine nominative singular

• viyoga-janmā: born of separation
• viyoga-janmā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa: ‘वियोगजन्मा’ = born of separation; Masculine nominative singular (qualifying paridāghaḥ)

• paridāghaḥ: burning pain/torment
• paridāghaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paridāgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine nominative singular

• īśitaḥ: overpowered/controlled
• īśitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īś (ईश्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; past passive participle: ‘ruled/controlled/overpowered’ (agreeing with paridāghaḥ)

• avāpya: having reached/obtained
• avāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ava-āp (अव+आप्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having obtained/reached’

• kāśīm: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• kāśīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• paritaḥ: all around
• paritaḥ: Desha (Adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: all around)

• praśānti-dām: peace-giving
• praśānti-dām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (दा) (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘द’ = giver)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa: ‘प्रशान्तिदा’ = giver of peace; Feminine accusative singular (qualifying kāśīm)

• samasta-saṃtāpa-vighāta-hetukām: cause of destroying all sufferings
• samasta-saṃtāpa-vighāta-hetukām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vighāta (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘समस्तसंतापविघातहेतु’ = cause of destruction of all afflictions; Feminine accusative singular (qualifying kāśīm)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim arriving at Kāśī’s ghāṭas at dawn; the inner ‘burning of separation’ is shown as a fading red aura, replaced by cool moonlike peace as the city’s sacred skyline and Viśvanātha’s presence radiate calm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a supreme refuge whose very attainment brings profound peace and dissolves worldly anguish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as a peace-giving sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the merit emphasized is the spiritual fruit of reaching/abiding in Kāśī.