Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

समुद्रानंतरीयाणि ह्यरण्यानीस्सरांसि च । नाना देवनिकायांश्च बह्वीर्दिविषदां पुरीः

Transliteration

samudrānaṃtarīyāṇi hyaraṇyānīssarāṃsi ca | nānā devanikāyāṃśca bahvīrdiviṣadāṃ purīḥ

Translation

Er sah Wälder und Seen, die zwischen den Weiten des Meeres lagen, und auch viele Versammlungen göttlicher Wesen sowie zahlreiche himmlische Städte der Götter.

Word by Word

• समुद्र-अन्तरीयाणि: (things) having the sea as an intervening expanse / separated by sea
• समुद्र-अन्तरीयाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तरीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्तरि/उद्देश्ये), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अरण्यानि: forests
• अरण्यानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सरांसि: lakes/ponds
• सरांसि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषणार्थे (adverbial/indeclinable qualifier)

• देव-निकायान्: groups of gods
• देव-निकायान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + निकाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बह्वीः: many
• बह्वीः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बह्वी (प्रातिपदिक; बहु-स्त्रीलिङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• दिविषदाम्: of the gods
• दिविषदाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिविषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुरीः: cities
• पुरीः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic, layered vista: sea-like expanses with interlying forests and shining lakes; above and beyond, luminous assemblies of devas and floating celestial cities.

Characters & Entities

• Samudra (ocean)
• Devanikāya (hosts of gods)
• Diviṣad (celestial beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred vision expands from earthly landscapes to divine realms, implying that dharma and devotion open perception to higher realities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-māhātmya frame is being developed; the verse emphasizes sacred cosmography rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is descriptive, preparing the narrative setting.