Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

निर्ममं चापि निर्मोहं या मामपि विमोहयेत् । कैर्न संस्मरणीया सा काशी विश्वविमोहिनी

Transliteration

nirmamaṃ cāpi nirmohaṃ yā māmapi vimohayet | kairna saṃsmaraṇīyā sā kāśī viśvavimohinī

Translation

যে নির্মম ও নির্মোহকেও—এমনকি আমাকেও—মোহিত করতে পারে, সেই বিশ্ববিমোহিনী কাশী কার স্মরণে আসবে না?

Word by Word

• निर्ममम्: free from possessiveness
• निर्ममम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम् इति/अहम् इति भावे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (also/even)

• निर्मोहम्: free from delusion
• निर्मोहम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम् इति)

• या: who (she who)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (काशी इत्यस्य)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (even)

• विमोहयेत्: might delude, could bewilder
• विमोहयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√मुह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कैः: by whom? with what?
• कैः: Karana/Hetu (By whom/with what)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• संस्मरणीया: to be remembered
• संस्मरणीया: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√स्मृ (धातु) + अनीयर् (कृत्)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य-विशेषणम् (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (सा इति)

• सा: she, that (Kāśī)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (सा इति)

• विश्व-विमोहिनी: the deluder of the whole world
• विश्व-विमोहिनी: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व-विमोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काशी इति); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य विमोहिनी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśvavimohinī epithet)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or interlocutor in Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame (context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāśī appears as a radiant goddess-city, veiled in light, drawing even an ascetic with calm face and empty hands (symbolizing non-possessiveness) into awe; the city’s aura spirals like a mantra around him.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s spiritual magnetism is so profound that remembrance of her becomes natural and transformative for all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as viśvavimohinī—mysteriously captivating and spiritually compelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (devout remembrance) of Kāśī is implied as the practice, though no formal rite is specified.