Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इह श्रुतिमतां पुंसां याभ्यां काशी श्रुता सकृत् । तदेव मनुते सर्वं मनस्त्विह मनस्विनाम

Transliteration

iha śrutimatāṃ puṃsāṃ yābhyāṃ kāśī śrutā sakṛt | tadeva manute sarvaṃ manastviha manasvināma

Translation

Hier, bei den Männern mit hörender Einsicht, deren Ohren Kāśī auch nur ein einziges Mal vernommen haben, richtet sich der Geist der Edlen allein auf Sie und hält Sie für das All.

Word by Word

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• śruti-matām: of the learned (possessing scripture/hearing)
• śruti-matām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक) + -mat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण

• puṃsām: of men
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

• yābhyām: by/with which two (means)
• yābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया/सप्तमी (3rd/7th case), द्विवचन (dual)

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• śrutā: is heard
• śrutā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) → śruta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive sense)

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक; 'एकवारम्'/once)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• manute: thinks, considers
• manute: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक; 'but')

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• manasvinām: of the high-minded
• manasvinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A listener hears of Kāśī and becomes inwardly absorbed; the mind is depicted as turning toward a radiant vision of Kāśī’s ghāṭs and Śiva’s presence, while worldly scenes fade.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single hearing of Kāśī’s glory can reorient the mind of the discerning toward the highest aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī, whose very mention and hearing is presented as spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) of Kāśī-māhātmya is implied as a potent practice, even without additional rites.