Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तुच्छश्रियः स्वर्गभूमीः परिहायागतैरिव । नानासुरनिकायैश्च विष्वग्भोगेच्छयोषितम्

Transliteration

tucchaśriyaḥ svargabhūmīḥ parihāyāgatairiva | nānāsuranikāyaiśca viṣvagbhogecchayoṣitam

Translation

Als hielten sie selbst die Herrlichkeiten des Himmels für gering und wären aus jenen himmlischen Gefilden fortgegangen, schienen Scharen verschiedener Devas dort zu weilen, von allen Seiten angezogen vom Verlangen, seine seligen Genüsse zu kosten.

Word by Word

• तुच्छश्रियः: of paltry splendor / meanly glorious
• तुच्छश्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुच्छ-श्री (प्रातिपदिक; तुच्छ + श्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. pl.)

• स्वर्गभूमीः: the heavenly regions/lands
• स्वर्गभूमीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-भूमि (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म (fem. acc. pl.)

• परिहाय: having abandoned
• परिहाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-हा (धातु; त्यागे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having abandoned’

• आगतैः: by those who had come
• आगतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु; गत्यर्थ) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (masc. instr. pl.)

• इव: as if / like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थे अव्यय (indeclinable used adjectivally: ‘various’)

• असुरनिकायैः: by groups of demons
• असुरनिकायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर-निकाय (प्रातिपदिक; असुर + निकाय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (masc. instr. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विष्वक्: everywhere / on all sides
• विष्वक्: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्वक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘on all sides/everywhere’)

• भोगेच्छया: by desire for enjoyment
• भोगेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग-इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक; भोग + इच्छा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (fem. instr. sg.)

• उषितम्: dwelt/was inhabited
• उषितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु; निवासे) → उषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘dwelt/inhabited’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous vision of Kāśī as a city/kshetra so attractive that celestial beings appear to have abandoned heaven; divine hosts gather in all directions, drawn by the promise of blessed enjoyments and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras)
• Svarga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is presented as surpassing even heaven—true spiritual excellence lies in a dharma-saturated tīrtha, not mere celestial luxury.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a puṇya-kṣetra so exalted that even devas are portrayed as residing there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse underscores the fruit of presence/association with the holy place.