Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कस्तादृशि महीजानौ पुण्यवर्त्मन्यतंद्रिते । काशीपाले दिवोदासे मनागपि विरुद्धधीः

Transliteration

kastādṛśi mahījānau puṇyavartmanyataṃdrite | kāśīpāle divodāse manāgapi viruddhadhīḥ

Translation

Wer, der solches weiß, hegte auch nur den geringsten widerstrebenden Gedanken gegen Divodāsa, den Beschützer von Kāśī, unermüdlich auf dem verdienstvollen Pfad?

Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• तादृशि: in such (a case/condition)
• तादृशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• महीजानौ: in (that) earth-born (king)
• महीजानौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘महीजा’ = पृथिव्यां जातः (earth-born)

• पुण्यवर्त्मनि: on the path of merit
• पुण्यवर्त्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; components: पुण्य + वर्त्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य वर्त्म)

• अतन्द्रिते: in the vigilant (one)
• अतन्द्रिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त/उपसर्ग-निषेधः: अ-तन्द्रित = not negligent; विशेषण

• काशीपाले: in the protector of Kāśī
• काशीपाले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; components: काशी + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः पालः)

• दिवोदासे: in Divodāsa
• दिवोदासे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of degree)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• विरुद्धधीः: a contrary-minded (person)
• विरुद्धधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरुद्ध-धी (प्रातिपदिक; components: विरुद्ध + धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विरुद्धा धीः यस्य/या)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reverent courtly scene in Kāśī: sages or narrators extol Divodāsa as tireless guardian of the meritorious path, with the city’s ghats and temples implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those who uphold a sacred city through dharma deserve honor; opposing such guardianship is portrayed as spiritually improper.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically through praise of its guardian-king Divodāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of dharmic respect toward the righteous protector of a holy kṣetra.