Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ईश्वरानुग्रहादेव काशीवासः सुदुर्लभः । सुलभः स्यान्मुने नूनं न वै सुकृतकोटिभिः

Transliteration

īśvarānugrahādeva kāśīvāsaḥ sudurlabhaḥ | sulabhaḥ syānmune nūnaṃ na vai sukṛtakoṭibhiḥ

Translation

Nur durch die Gnade des Herrn ist der Aufenthalt in Kāśī überaus schwer zu erlangen; er wird nicht leicht, o Weiser, selbst nicht durch Kroren guter Taten.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरानुग्रहात्: from the Lord’s grace
• ईश्वरानुग्रहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अपादानार्थे (from/by the grace of the Lord)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Kriya-vishesana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण-निपातः (emphatic: indeed/only)

• काशीवासः: dwelling in Kāśī
• काशीवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वास (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सुदुर्लभः: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक; सु + दुर्लभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• सुलभः: easy to obtain
• सुलभः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुलभ (प्रातिपदिक; सु + लभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• स्यात्: would be; may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नूनम्: certainly
• नूनम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (certainly)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• वै: indeed
• वै: Kriya-vishesana (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; खलु/एव-अर्थक-निपातः (indeed, surely)

• सुकृतकोटिभिः: by crores of good deeds
• सुकृतकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; साधनार्थे (even by)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-vāsa (residence in Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation scene: the speaker emphasizes ‘sudurlabha’ while Kāśī appears as a radiant city; heaps of symbolic ‘good deeds’ (coins/flowers/ritual tokens) are shown insufficient without a descending beam of Śiva’s grace granting entry and residence.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kāśī-vāsa
• Sukṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-vāsa is portrayed as a special destiny granted by Īśvara, not merely the result of accumulated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the blessing of dwelling there (kāśīvāsa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse contrasts general “good deeds” with the decisive role of Īśvara’s grace.