Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । अग्निबिंदो मुनिश्रेष्ठ स्थास्याम्यहमिह ध्रुवम् । काशीभक्तिमतां पुंसां मुक्तिमार्गं समादिशन्

Transliteration

śrīviṣṇuruvāca | agnibiṃdo muniśreṣṭha sthāsyāmyahamiha dhruvam | kāśībhaktimatāṃ puṃsāṃ muktimārgaṃ samādiśan

Translation

শ্ৰী বিষ্ণুৱে ক’লে: হে অগ্নিবিন্দু, মুনিশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! মই ইয়াত ধ্ৰুৱভাৱে, অচলভাৱে বাস কৰিম, কাশীভক্ত পুৰুষসকলক মুক্তিৰ পথ উপদেশ দিম।

Word by Word

• श्रीविष्णुः: Lord Viṣṇu (the revered Viṣṇu)
• श्रीविष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + विष्णु (कर्मधारयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निबिंदो: O Agnibindu
• अग्निबिंदो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निबिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—अग्नि + बिन्दु (तत्पुरुषः)

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनिश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—मुनीनां श्रेष्ठः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• स्थास्यामि: I shall stay
• स्थास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• ध्रुवम्: certainly; firmly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbially: firmly/certainly)

• काशीभक्तिमताम्: of those devoted to Kāśī
• काशीभक्तिमताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी-भक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—काश्यां भक्तिः यस्य (उपपद/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः) + मतुप्-प्रत्यय (भक्तिमत्)

• पुंसाम्: of men; of persons
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• मुक्तिमार्गम्: the path to liberation
• मुक्तिमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—मुक्तेः मार्गः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• समादिशन्: instructing; while teaching
• समादिशन्: Kriya-visheshana (Concomitant action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), परस्मैपदीय-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण/सहक्रिया (while instructing)

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agnibindu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī Viṣṇu addresses the sage Agnibindu in Kāśī, declaring His unwavering residence there to guide Kāśī-devotees to mokṣa; backdrop of Gaṅgā ghāṭs and temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Agnibindu
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Kāśī is portrayed as a direct qualification for receiving instruction in mokṣa, with the deity’s abiding presence supporting liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a liberation-giving sacred geography (sthāla-māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on bhakti to Kāśī and guidance toward mokṣa.