Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्वर्गेष्विंद्रपदादन्यन्न विशिष्येत किंचन । यद्यत्त्रिलोक्यामैश्वर्यं न तत्तुल्यमनेन हि

Transliteration

svargeṣviṃdrapadādanyanna viśiṣyeta kiṃcana | yadyattrilokyāmaiśvaryaṃ na tattulyamanena hi

Translation

In den Himmeln gibt es nichts Höheres als Indras Rang; und doch ist jede Herrschaft in den drei Welten diesem nicht gleich.

Word by Word

• svargeṣu: in the heavens
• svargeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (स्वर्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• indrapadāt: from Indra's rank/position
• indrapadāt: Apādāna (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (इन्द्र-प्रातिपदिक) + pada (पद-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रस्य पदम्)

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (अन्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle

• viśiṣyeta: would excel; would be superior
• viśiṣyeta: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śiṣ (वि+शिष् धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• kiṃcana: anything at all
• kiṃcana: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cana (किम् + चन)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; indefinite pronoun (‘anything whatsoever’)

• yad: whatever
• yad: Karma (Object/कर्म) (correlative with tat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; relative pronoun

• yat: whatever (each)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; repetition for distributive sense

• trilokyām: in the three worlds
• trilokyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (त्रि संख्या) + lokī (लोकी/लोक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (त्रयः लोकाः)

• aiśvaryam: sovereignty; lordship
• aiśvaryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (ऐश्वर्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; correlative pronoun

• tulyam: equal
• tulyam: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (तुल्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective

• anena: with this; compared to this
• anena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis/indeed)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau: Indra’s jeweled Amarāvatī on one side, and Kāśī’s ghāṭas with Śiva’s presence on the other; the radiance of Kāśī eclipses celestial splendor, suggesting a higher sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Triloka (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly and even heavenly power is secondary to the unique spiritual excellence of the supreme sacred context being praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the incomparable standard—greater than even Indra’s celestial status.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal comparison meant to elevate the value of pilgrimage and sacred residence.