Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

येषां हृदि सदैवास्ते काशीत्वाशीविषां गद । संसाराशीविषविषं न तेषां प्रभवेत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ hṛdi sadaivāste kāśītvāśīviṣāṃ gada | saṃsārāśīviṣaviṣaṃ na teṣāṃ prabhavetkvacit

Translation

O Weiser, bei denen im Herzen stets das «Kāśī-Sein» weilt—wie ein Heilmittel gegen Schlangengift—kann das Gift des Saṃsāra, gleich dem Schlangengift, sie niemals, zu keiner Zeit, überwältigen.

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• आस्ते: abides/is present
• आस्ते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg.); आत्मनेपद

• काशीत्व-आशीविषाम्: of the serpents of Kāśī-ness (i.e., the Kāśī-mantra as a serpent)
• काशीत्व-आशीविषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीत्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काशीत्वस्य आशीविषः = the serpent of Kāśī-ness); षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• गद: O Gada (address)
• गद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

• संसार-आशीविष-विषम्: the poison of the saṃsāra-serpent
• संसार-आशीविष-विषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (संसारस्य आशीविषस्य विषम् = poison of the serpent of saṃsāra); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

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

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• प्रभवेत्: would arise/prevail
• प्रभवेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रभू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Optative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (at any time/anywhere)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (internalized Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘O sage’ addressed (gade) indicates a ṛṣi is being spoken to; exact names not provided in the excerpt.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a listener; within a devotee’s heart-lotus shines the word ‘Kāśī’ as a luminous gem, while a dark serpent labeled ‘Saṃsāra’ recoils, its venom rendered harmless.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Saṃsāra
• Āśīviṣa (serpent-venom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained inner remembrance of Kāśī is portrayed as a powerful antidote to the suffering and bondage of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised not only as a place but as a transformative spiritual power held in the heart.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, constant remembrance (smaraṇa) of Kāśī; no external rite is specified in this verse.