Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दीर्घनिद्रा प्रसुप्तानां परमोद्बोधदायिनि । यातायातश्रमापन्नप्राणिमार्गमहीरुहि

Transliteration

dīrghanidrā prasuptānāṃ paramodbodhadāyini | yātāyātaśramāpannaprāṇimārgamahīruhi

Translation

O Kāśī, Spenderin des höchsten Erwachens für jene, die im langen Schlaf der Unwissenheit liegen; o großer Baum, der den Pfad der Wesen beschirmt, die vom endlosen Kommen und Gehen (Geburt und Tod) ermattet sind.

Word by Word

• दीर्घनिद्रा: O long sleep
• दीर्घनिद्रा: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ-निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक; दीर्घ + निद्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दीर्घा निद्रा)

• प्रसुप्तानाम्: of those who are asleep
• प्रसुप्तानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-√स्वप् (धातु) → प्रसुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), 'प्रसुप्त' = asleep

• परमोद्बोधदायिनि: O giver of the supreme awakening
• परमोद्बोधदायिनि: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-उद्बोध-दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; परम + उद्बोध + दायिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/सम्बोधन-एकवचन (प्रयोगतः स्त्री-एकवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; 'दायिन्' (giver) विशेषण

• यातायातश्रमापन्न: afflicted by the fatigue of coming and going
• यातायातश्रमापन्न: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यातायात-श्रम-आपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; यातायात + श्रम + आपन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-विशेषणरूपेण); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (यातायातेन श्रमेण आपन्नः)

• प्राणिमार्गमहीरुहि: O tree on the path of living beings
• प्राणिमार्गमहीरुहि: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणि-मार्ग-महीरुह (प्रातिपदिक; प्राणि + मार्ग + महीरुह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणिनां मार्गे महीरुहः/महीरुहिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic road of repeated births and deaths with weary travelers; above them spreads a vast banyan-like tree labeled ‘Kāśī’, offering shade and coolness; a radiant dawn breaks, signifying awakening from long sleep, with distant temple spires and Gaṅgā ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Saṃsāra (yātāyāta)
• Udbodha (awakening)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī awakens the soul from ignorance and gives rest from the fatigue of saṃsāra’s endless cycles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra, portrayed as a refuge and guide for beings on the arduous path of existence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on Kāśī’s grace as spiritual awakening and shelter.