Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अपि काश्यां वसेद्यस्तु सर्वाशी सर्वविक्रयी । स यां गतिं लभेन्मर्त्यो यज्ञैर्दानैर्न सान्यतः

Transliteration

api kāśyāṃ vasedyastu sarvāśī sarvavikrayī | sa yāṃ gatiṃ labhenmartyo yajñairdānairna sānyataḥ

Translation

Selbst wenn ein Mensch in Kāśī wohnt, alles isst und alles verkauft, so ist der Zustand, den er erlangt, anderswo weder durch Opfer (yajña) noch durch Gaben (dāna) zu gewinnen.

Word by Word

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वसेत्: should live/dwell
• वसेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्वाशी: eating everything
• सर्वाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (sarvam aśnāti iti)

• सर्वविक्रयी: selling everything
• सर्वविक्रयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (sarvaṃ vikrīṇāti iti)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याम्: which
• याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative)

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दानैः: by gifts/charity
• दानैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सा: that (goal)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्यतः: from elsewhere/otherwise
• अन्यतः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/दिशावाचक (ablatival adverb: from elsewhere/otherwise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (residential merit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A morally ordinary (even flawed) householder in Kāśī—market scenes of trade—yet bathed in the city’s sanctifying aura; in the background, yajña fires and dāna scenes appear smaller, indicating their lesser efficacy compared to Kāśī’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Gati (spiritual destiny)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is so great that mere residence there yields a spiritual attainment beyond what ordinary rites can secure elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a residence-place (vāsa-kṣetra) granting exceptional spiritual destiny.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it contrasts Kāśī-vāsa with yajña and dāna, asserting Kāśī’s superior fruit.