Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या काचिदक्षकलालया । आलापोल्लासकुशला काचिच्चत्वरचारिणी

Transliteration

gaṃdhabhāgavidhijñānyā kācidakṣakalālayā | ālāpollāsakuśalā kāciccatvaracāriṇī

Translation

كانت إحداهنّ عارفةً بالمقادير والطرائق الصحيحة للعطور والروائح الزكية، وأخرى مولعةً بفنّ النرد. وإحداهنّ ماهرةً في الحديث العذب والبهجة الاحتفالية، وأخرى تجوب الساحات ومفارق الطرق.

Word by Word

• गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या: knowing the rules of perfume-mixtures/portions
• गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्ध + भाग + विधि + ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा

• अक्षकलालया: a repository of dice-skill/arts of gaming
• अक्षकलालया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष + कलालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (कलालय = कलानां आलयः)

• आलापोल्लासकुशला: skilled in musical prelude and flourish
• आलापोल्लासकुशला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आलाप + उल्लास + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा

• चत्वरचारिणी: one who roams the crossroads/squares
• चत्वरचारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वर + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī catvara: one woman measuring perfumes and mixing fragrant pastes; another at a dice game with onlookers; a third engaging in witty conversation amid festivity; a fourth roaming the crossroads as pilgrims pass toward a temple.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse paints Kāśī as a complete human world—arts, leisure, and public life—against the backdrop of a kṣetra where dharma can still be pursued.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the sacred city; the verse does not isolate a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.