Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यथैंद्रजालिकीं दृष्ट्वा मायामिह विचक्षणः । क्षणेन मोहमायाति काशीं वीक्ष्य तथैव तौ

Transliteration

yathaiṃdrajālikīṃ dṛṣṭvā māyāmiha vicakṣaṇaḥ | kṣaṇena mohamāyāti kāśīṃ vīkṣya tathaiva tau

Translation

كما أن المرء البصير إذا رأى سحر الساحر يقع في الحيرة في لحظة، كذلك هذان الاثنان، لما أبصرا كاشي، دخلا في الوهم من فورِهما.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• ऐंद्रजालिकीम्: a magical illusion (conjuring trick)
• ऐंद्रजालिकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐंद्रजालिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive), “having seen”

• मायाम्: illusion
• मायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• विचक्षणः: a discerning person
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयाति: comes/enters
• आयाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive), “having looked at/seen”

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual metaphor: Kāśī appears like a divine magician’s spectacle—radiant ghats, swirling crowds, shimmering temples—causing two powerful beings to stagger into sudden moha.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Māyā
• Indrajāla (magician’s illusion)
• Śaṅkukarṇa
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sharp intellect can be overcome by māyā; sacred places can intensify inner states, demanding vigilance and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose presence is depicted as uniquely powerful and mind-altering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a psychological-spiritual observation about moha arising from encounter with Kāśī.