Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अनंतो महिमा काश्याः कस्तं वर्णयितुं प्रभुः । विपत्तिमिच्छतो जंतोर्यत्रकर्णे जपः शिवः

Transliteration

anaṃto mahimā kāśyāḥ kastaṃ varṇayituṃ prabhuḥ | vipattimicchato jaṃtoryatrakarṇe japaḥ śivaḥ

Translation

Unendlich ist die Herrlichkeit von Kāśī — wer vermöchte sie zu schildern? Denn dort wird selbst einem Wesen im Augenblick der Gefahr Śiva als rettendes Mantra-Japa ins Ohr geflüstert.

Word by Word

• anantaḥ: endless
• anantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘mahimā’ (poetic agreement by sense)

• mahimā: greatness
• mahimā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• kāśyāḥ: of Kāśī
• kāśyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• tam: that (greatness)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अन्वयः ‘तं (महिमानम्)’

• varṇayitum: to describe
• varṇayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to describe’

• prabhuḥ: is capable
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘समर्थः’ (capable one)

• vipattim: calamity
• vipattim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipatti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• icchataḥ: of (one) desiring
• icchataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣ (धातु) → icchat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘jantoḥ’

• jantoḥ: of a creature/person
• jantoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• karṇe: in the ear
• karṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• japaḥ: muttered prayer/recitation
• japaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• śivaḥ: (of) Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; apposition to ‘japaḥ’ (śiva-japa)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying pilgrim in Kāśī on a simple cot near a ghāṭ; Śiva (as compassionate lord) leans close to whisper a mantra into the ear; attendants chant softly; Gaṅgā flows nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Karṇajapa (ear-whispered mantra at death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a mokṣa-kṣetra where Śiva’s grace reaches even the dying through the liberating ear-whispered mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed for liberation at death through Śiva’s special presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karṇe-japa/karṇa-upadeśa—Śiva’s imparting of a mantra into the ear at the final moment (a salvation motif of Kāśī).