Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

मया व्यधायि बहुधा सृष्टिः सृष्टिं वितन्वता । परमन्यादृशी काशी स्वयं विश्वेश निर्मितिः

Transliteration

mayā vyadhāyi bahudhā sṛṣṭiḥ sṛṣṭiṃ vitanvatā | paramanyādṛśī kāśī svayaṃ viśveśa nirmitiḥ

Translation

لقد صغتُ خَلْقًا كثيرًا وأنا أبسطُ الخلقَ؛ غير أنّ كاشي لا تُشبه سواها البتّة، فهي صُنْعٌ أبدعه فيشفِيشا (شِيفا) بنفسه.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यधायि: was arranged/was effected
• व्यधायि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Past), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सृष्टिः: creation
• सृष्टिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सृष्टिम्: creation (as object)
• सृष्टिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वितन्वता: by (one) spreading/expanding
• वितन्वता: करण/कर्ता-सहायक (Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तन् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग) → वितन्वत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present active participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (agreeing with implied agent)

• परम्: supreme/other than all
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• अन्यादृशी: of a different kind
• अन्यादृशी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• काशी: Kashi (Varanasi)
• काशी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वयम्: by itself; directly
• स्वयम्: विशेषण/निपात (Emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (particle/adverb)

• विश्वेश: O Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रयोग (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्मितिः: a creation; formation
• निर्मितिः: सम्बन्ध/विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (Vedhā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience of the Kāśī-māhātmya (traditionally sages/seekers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic creator Brahmā contemplates the vastness of his manifold creations, yet beholds Kāśī as singular—radiant, self-luminous, stamped with Viśveśvara’s presence; the city appears as a sacred mandala on the Gaṅgā’s curve.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viśveśa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s holiness is presented as ontological—its very origin is attributed to Śiva, making it incomparable among sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), explicitly distinguished as Viśveśa’s own making.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a theological basis for Kāśī’s supreme sanctity.