Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

एतान्यायतनानीश आनिनाय महांति च । शेषयित्वांशमात्रं च तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे निजे निजे

Transliteration

etānyāyatanānīśa ānināya mahāṃti ca | śeṣayitvāṃśamātraṃ ca tasminkṣetre nije nije

Translation

Der Herr brachte diese großen Heiligtümer hierher; doch ließ Er von jedem einen Anteil in seinem ursprünglichen heiligen Kṣetra zurück, sodass jedes an seinem jeweiligen Ort gegründet bleibt.

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; निर्देश (these)

• आयतनानि: abodes/shrines
• आयतनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• आनिनाय: brought
• आनिनाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—आ; अर्थः—आनयामास (brought)

• महान्ति: great
• महान्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘आयतनानि’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• शेषयित्वा: having left/retained
• शेषयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शिष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-धातु; अर्थः—शेषं कृत्वा (having left/retained)

• अंशमात्रम्: only a portion
• अंशमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—अंशस्य मात्रम् (only a portion)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; निर्देश (in that)

• क्षेत्रे: field/holy region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निजे: own
• निजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘क्षेत्रे’)

• निजे: each one’s own
• निजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) as āyatana-sāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary map-like scene: multiple iconic shrines appear as luminous 'portions' within Kāśī while faintly connected by rays to their original distant kṣetras; Śiva as the Lord orchestrates this sacred translocation, holding a city-diagram of Kāśī in one hand.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Āyatanas (shrines/abodes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a concentrated sacred universe where many holy abodes are present by Śiva’s will, without diminishing their original seats.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the overarching Mahākṣetra that gathers multiple āyatanas (sacred abodes) within itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse is a theological-geographical summary of how sanctuaries are established in Kāśī.