Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वाराणसीं स्मरहरप्रियराजधानीं त्यक्त्वा कुतो व्रजसि मूढ दिगंतरेषु । प्राप्याप्यजाद्यसुलभांस्थिरमोक्षलक्ष्मीं लक्ष्मीं स्वभावचपलां किमु कामयेथाः

Transliteration

vārāṇasīṃ smaraharapriyarājadhānīṃ tyaktvā kuto vrajasi mūḍha digaṃtareṣu | prāpyāpyajādyasulabhāṃsthiramokṣalakṣmīṃ lakṣmīṃ svabhāvacapalāṃ kimu kāmayethāḥ

Translation

Having forsaken Vārāṇasī—the beloved royal capital of Smarahara (Śiva), the slayer of Kāma—why, deluded one, do you wander to far-off quarters? Having attained the steadfast Lakṣmī of liberation, hard to gain even for Brahmā and the rest, why would you still crave the Lakṣmī of worldly fortune, fickle by nature?

Word by Word

• vārāṇasīm: Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• smara-hara-priya-rāja-dhānīm: the beloved capital of Smarahara (Śiva)
• smara-hara-priya-rāja-dhānīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smara (प्रातिपदिक) + hara (प्रातिपदिक) + priya (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + dhānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (स्मरहरस्य प्रिया राजधानी) विशेषण (of vārāṇasīm)

• tyaktvā: having left
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• kutaḥ: why? whither from?
• kutaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: whence/why)

• vrajasi: do you go
• vrajasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mūḍha: O fool
• mūḍha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• dik-antara-eṣu: in other directions/places
• dik-antara-eṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (दिशाम् अन्तरेषु = in other regions/directions)

• prāpya: having obtained
• prāpya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prā-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having obtained’

• api: even
• api: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• ajādi-asulabhām: hard to obtain even for Brahmā and others
• ajādi-asulabhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + asulabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अजादिभिः असुलभा) विशेषण (of sthiramokṣalakṣmīm)

• sthira-mokṣa-lakṣmīm: the steady fortune of liberation
• sthira-mokṣa-lakṣmīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य लक्ष्मीः) कर्मधारय-भाव (स्थिरा)

• lakṣmīm: fortune, prosperity
• lakṣmīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति/अप्पोजिशन (apposition to sthiramokṣalakṣmīm)

• svabhāva-capalām: fickle by nature
• svabhāva-capalām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + capala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वभावेन चपला) विशेषण (of lakṣmīm)

• kimu: then why?/how much more?
• kimu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim u (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अधिकप्रश्नार्थक निपात (interrogative particle: how much more?/why then?)

• kāmayethāḥ: would you desire
• kāmayethāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogic frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A wavering pilgrim/seeker archetype addressed as ‘mūḍha’ (deluded)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at a crossroads: one path leads to distant lands with symbols of wealth and trade; the other leads to Kāśī’s ghats and Viśvanātha temple. Above Kāśī, Śiva as Smarahara presides like a king; beside him, Mokṣa-Lakṣmī stands steady and luminous, while worldly Lakṣmī appears restless and fleeting.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Smarahara (Śiva)
• Smara (Kāma)
• Brahmā (Aja)
• Lakṣmī (prosperity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choose the steady wealth of mokṣa available in Kāśī over unstable worldly prosperity; do not abandon the liberating dhāma for aimless wandering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), praised as the beloved capital of Śiva (Smarahara) and a unique bestower of firm liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it is primarily a mahātmya-based exhortation toward residence/steadfastness in Kāśī and renunciation of worldly aims.