Shloka 89 - Adhyaya 30 - Purva Ardha - Kashi Khanda | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

विद्या धनानि सदनानि गजाश्वभृत्याः स्रक्चंदनानि वनिताश्च नितांत रम्याः । स्वर्गोप्यगम्य इह नोद्यमभाजिपुंसि वाराणसीत्वसुलभा शलभादिमुक्तिः । धात्रा धृतानि तुलया तुलनामवैतुं वैकुंठमुख्यभुवनानि च काशिका च । तान्युद्ययुर्लघुतयान्यगियं गुरुत्वात्तस्थौ पुरीह पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयस्य

Transliteration

vidyā dhanāni sadanāni gajāśvabhṛtyāḥ srakcaṃdanāni vanitāśca nitāṃta ramyāḥ | svargopyagamya iha nodyamabhājipuṃsi vārāṇasītvasulabhā śalabhādimuktiḥ | dhātrā dhṛtāni tulayā tulanāmavaituṃ vaikuṃṭhamukhyabhuvanāni ca kāśikā ca | tānyudyayurlaghutayānyagiyaṃ gurutvāttasthau purīha puruṣārthacatuṣṭayasya

Translation

Wissen, Reichtümer, Häuser, Elefanten, Pferde und Diener, Girlanden und Sandel, und überaus liebliche Frauen — ja selbst der Himmel — sind hier für den strebenden Menschen nicht schwer zu erlangen. Doch die Befreiung, die in Vārāṇasī so leicht zu gewinnen ist wie die Erlösung einer Motte und dergleichen, ist anderswo nicht so leicht erreichbar. Der Schöpfer legte Vaikuṇṭha und die übrigen vornehmsten Welten sowie auch Kāśikā auf eine Waage, um ihr Gewicht zu prüfen. Jene Welten stiegen empor, weil sie leicht waren; diese (Kāśī) aber stand fest durch ihre Schwere: dies ist die Stadt, die die vier menschlichen Ziele in sich trägt—dharma, artha, kāma und mokṣa.

Word by Word

विद्याknowledge

धनानिwealths

सदनानिhouses

गजाश्वभृत्याःelephants, horses, and servants

स्रक्garland

चन्दनानिsandalwoods / sandal-pastes

वनिताःwomen

चand

नितान्तexceedingly

रम्याःcharming

स्वर्गःheaven

अपिeven

अगम्यःunattainable

इहhere

नोद्यमभाजिin one who does not undertake effort

पुंसिin a man

वाराणसीत्वसुलभाeasily obtained through being in Vārāṇasī

शलभादि-मुक्तिःliberation (like that of a moth etc.)

धात्राby the Creator (Dhātṛ)

धृतानिheld/placed

तुलयाwith a balance/scale

तुलनाम्comparison

अवैतुम्to ascertain

वैकुण्ठमुख्यभुवनानिworlds headed by Vaikuṇṭha

चand

काशिकाKāśikā (Kāśī)

चand

तानिthose (worlds etc.)

उद्ययुःrose up

लघुतयाby lightness

अन्यगियम्(became) to be regarded as inferior/other

गुरुत्वात्due to heaviness

तस्थौstood

पुरीthe city

इहhere

पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयस्यof the four aims of life

Speaker

Skanda (as narrator/teacher in Kāśī Khaṇḍa, typically addressing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Vārāṇasī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis in Naimiṣāraṇya (frame) / internal interlocutors of Kāśī-māhātmya (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Dhātṛ) sets Vaikuṇṭha and other lokas on a great balance against Kāśī; the lokas rise as light while Kāśī remains heavy and steady, radiating with Śiva’s presence; pilgrims and ghāṭs hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Kāśikā

Vaikuṇṭha

Dhātṛ (Brahmā)

Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly attainments—even heaven—are secondary; Kāśī is praised as uniquely potent for mokṣa, embodying and surpassing all four puruṣārthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī (Kāśikā), presented as the supreme sacred city whose spiritual “weight” exceeds even Vaikuṇṭha and other worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes the inherent salvific power of residing in or attaining Kāśī.