Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कामिनां कामजननं मुमुक्षूणां च मोक्षदम् । श्रूयते यत्र यत्रैतत्तत्र तत्र परामृतम्

Transliteration

kāmināṃ kāmajananaṃ mumukṣūṇāṃ ca mokṣadam | śrūyate yatra yatraitattatra tatra parāmṛtam

Translation

Für die nach Genuss Verlangenden erzeugt es die ersehnten Freuden, und den nach Befreiung Strebenden schenkt es Mokṣa. Wo immer dies vernommen wird, dort ist wahrlich der höchste Nektar.

Word by Word

• कामिनाम्: of the desirous/lustful
• कामिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• कामजननम्: the producer of desires
• कामजननम्: Visheshya (That being described/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + जनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular) — समासः: कामस्य जननम्

• मुमुक्षूणाम्: of those seeking liberation
• मुमुक्षूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुमुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

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

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular) — समासः: मोक्षं ददातीति

• श्रूयते: is heard/recited
• श्रूयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (शृणोति) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (where)

• एतत्: this (teaching/story)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (correlative adverb: there)

• तत्र: in that very place
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• परामृतम्: supreme nectar (highest bliss)
• परामृतम्: Visheshya (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular) — समासः: परम् अमृतम्

Speaker

Agastya (deduced; addressing Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (mahātmya-śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śikhiratha (context from surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred assembly where Kāśī’s glory is recited; listeners of different aims—some seeking pleasures, some liberation—receive their respective fruits; the air itself is depicted as nectar-like due to the spoken mahātmya.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Mokṣa
• Kāma
• Paramṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred hearing (śravaṇa) of Kāśī’s glory yields both worldly fulfillment and liberation, according to one’s intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework, as a place whose fame itself is nectar-like.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—listening to the sacred account—is highlighted as spiritually potent.