Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

करामलकवत्सर्वमेतद्ब्रह्मांडगोलकम् । अस्मद्वाग्गोचरेऽस्त्येव धर्मपीठनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

karāmalakavatsarvametadbrahmāṃḍagolakam | asmadvāggocare'styeva dharmapīṭhaniṣevaṇāt

Translation

Diese ganze Sphäre des Kosmos ist uns wie eine Āmalaka‑Frucht in der Handfläche—im Bereich unserer Rede und Erkenntnis—weil wir dem heiligen Sitz des Dharma gedient haben.

Word by Word

• करामलकवत्: like an āmalaka in the hand (clearly)
• करामलकवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करामलक + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः/तुल्योपमा; नपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनं प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (used adverbially: like a myrobalan in the hand); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kara-āmalaka)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; विशेषणम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः

• ब्रह्माण्डगोलकम्: the cosmic-egg sphere (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डगोलकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + गोलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; कर्मधारयः (brahmāṇḍaḥ sa eva golakaḥ)

• अस्मद्वाग्गोचरे: within the range of our speech
• अस्मद्वाग्गोचरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् + वाक् + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (asmākaṃ vācaḥ gocaraḥ)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (indeed)

• धर्मपीठनिषेवणात्: from serving the seat of Dharma
• धर्मपीठनिषेवणात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपीठ + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharmapīṭhasya niṣevaṇam)

Speaker

Deductively: winged speakers (pakṣi) explaining their insight gained by serving Dharmapīṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-pīṭha (conceptual sacred seat)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic close-up: a hand holding an āmalaka fruit, within which the entire brahmāṇḍa appears as a miniature sphere—galaxies, lokas, rivers—while a dharma-seat (pīṭha) with a banner/insignia stands behind, indicating the source of this vision.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāṇḍa (cosmos)
• Dharmapīṭha (Seat of Dharma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Dharma’s sacred seat is said to grant clarity so complete that the cosmos becomes ‘as obvious as a fruit in the hand’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapīṭha is praised as a sanctifying locus; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa it implies a revered dharma-seat associated with Kāśī’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is niṣevaṇa—devotional attendance/service at the Dharmapīṭha.