Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

रम्या पुरी भवेदेषा ब्रह्मांडादखिलादपि । परिष्टुत्येति दुर्वासाश्चेतोवृत्तिमवाप ह

Transliteration

ramyā purī bhavedeṣā brahmāṃḍādakhilādapi | pariṣṭutyeti durvāsāścetovṛttimavāpa ha

Translation

„Diese Stadt ist überaus wonnig, ja mehr als das ganze Weltall.“ Nachdem er sie so gepriesen hatte, erlangte der Weise Durvāsā eine verwandelte innere Gesinnung.

Word by Word

• रम्या: beautiful, delightful
• रम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. sg.)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg. opt.)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (fem. nom. sg.)

• ब्रह्माण्डात्: from the universe/egg of Brahmā
• ब्रह्माण्डात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन (neut. abl. sg.)

• अखिलात्: from the entire (whole)
• अखिलात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neut. abl. sg.)

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

• परिष्टुत्य: having praised
• परिष्टुत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्तु (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having praised’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā (sage)
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• चेतोवृत्तिम्: mental disposition/state of mind
• चेतोवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चेतसः वृत्तिः) (fem. acc. sg.)

• अवाप: attained, obtained
• अवाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg. perf.)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), कथन-प्रत्यय (indeed)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā stands within luminous Kāśī, palms joined in praise; the cityscape glows with ghāṭas, temples, and a subtle aura suggesting a shift in his mind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Durvāsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere praise of Kāśī’s sanctity refines the mind and turns it toward liberation-oriented awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as uniquely delightful and spiritually supreme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights stuti (praise) as a devotional act that transforms consciousness.