Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

काश्यां धर्मस्तच्चतुष्पादरूपः काश्यामर्थः सोप्यने कप्रकारः । काश्यां कामः सर्वसौख्यैकभूमिः काश्यां श्रेयस्तत्तु किंनात्र यच्च

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ dharmastaccatuṣpādarūpaḥ kāśyāmarthaḥ sopyane kaprakāraḥ | kāśyāṃ kāmaḥ sarvasaukhyaikabhūmiḥ kāśyāṃ śreyastattu kiṃnātra yacca

Translation

In Kāśī steht Dharma fest in seiner vierfüßigen Gestalt; in Kāśī wird Artha auf vielerlei Weise erlangt. In Kāśī findet Kāma einen einzigen Grund aller Freude; und in Kāśī ist das höchste Heil selbst—welche Vorzüglichkeit wäre hier nicht zu finden?

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuvṛtti/Deictic
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• चतुष्पाद: four-footed/fourfold
• चतुष्पाद: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (चत्वारः पादाः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• रूपः: form
• रूपः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• अर्थः: artha (wealth/aim)
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सः: he/that
• सः: Anuvṛtti/Pronominal reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अनेक: many
• अनेक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग

• प्रकारः: kind/mode
• प्रकारः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• कामः: kāma (desire)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• सौख्य: happiness
• सौख्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Neuter, Genitive, Singular; compound member)

• एक: single/one
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• भूमिः: ground/abode
• भूमिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuvṛtti/Deictic
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Relative pronoun; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified puruṣārthas standing in Kāśī: Dharma as a four-legged bull, Artha as a many-handed giver, Kāma as a gentle spring of joy, and Śreyas as a radiant ascetic light above them, with Viśveśvara’s presence sanctifying all.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Śreyas (Mokṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is extolled as the rare place where all human goals—ethical life, prosperity, enjoyment, and liberation—reach fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the supreme kṣetra where the puruṣārthas are perfected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on Kāśī’s inherent power as a sacred field (kṣetra) for attaining the puruṣārthas.