Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वरं विघ्नसहस्राणि सोढव्यानि पदेपदे । काश्यां नान्यत्र निर्विघ्नं वांछेद्राज्यमपि क्वचित्

Transliteration

varaṃ vighnasahasrāṇi soḍhavyāni padepade | kāśyāṃ nānyatra nirvighnaṃ vāṃchedrājyamapi kvacit

Translation

Besser ist es, in Kāśī auf Schritt und Tritt tausend Hindernisse zu ertragen, als anderswo auch nur ein störungsfreies Königtum zu begehren.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better (that)
• वरम्: Sambandha/Emphasis (Preference)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे निपातवत् (better/rather)

• विघ्नसहस्राणि: thousands of obstacles
• विघ्नसहस्राणि: Karma (Object of ‘to be endured’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विघ्नानां सहस्राणि)

• सोढव्यानि: to be endured
• सोढव्यानि: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्; Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘to be endured’

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (पदेपदे)

• काश्याम्: in Kashi
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (elsewhere)

• निर्विघ्नम्: free of obstacles
• निर्विघ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (राज्यम् इति)

• वाञ्छेत्: should desire
• वाञ्छेत्: Kriya (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even)

• क्वचित्: ever/at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (ever/anywhere/at any time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī faces a gauntlet of obstacles—narrow lanes, rain, crowds, mendicants—yet walks firmly toward a Śiva shrine; in a contrasting vignette, a distant palace symbolizes the ‘trouble-free kingdom’ rejected.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual gain outweighs worldly ease; hardship in a liberating kṣetra is superior to comfort without sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, upheld as the supreme kṣetra where even difficulties become spiritually fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it recommends choosing the sacred place (kṣetra) even if life there involves trials.