Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मया न मेने ममजन्मभूमिका वियोगजन्मा परिदाघईशितः । अवाप्यकाशीं परितः प्रशांतिदां समस्तसंतापविघातहेतुकाम्

Transliteration

mayā na mene mamajanmabhūmikā viyogajanmā paridāghaīśitaḥ | avāpyakāśīṃ paritaḥ praśāṃtidāṃ samastasaṃtāpavighātahetukām

Translation

I did not think the burning anguish born of separation from my birthplace could be so overpowering; yet on attaining Kāśī, bestower of perfect peace, it becomes the very cause of destroying every kind of suffering.

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• mene: (I) considered/thought
• mene: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (मन्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg perfect (he/it thought/considered)

• mama-janma-bhūmikā: my birthplace (as subject)
• mama-janma-bhūmikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mama (asmad-षष्ठी) + janma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘मम जन्मभूमिका’ = my birthplace/ground of birth; Feminine nominative singular

• viyoga-janmā: born of separation
• viyoga-janmā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa: ‘वियोगजन्मा’ = born of separation; Masculine nominative singular (qualifying paridāghaḥ)

• paridāghaḥ: burning pain/torment
• paridāghaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paridāgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine nominative singular

• īśitaḥ: overpowered/controlled
• īśitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īś (ईश्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; past passive participle: ‘ruled/controlled/overpowered’ (agreeing with paridāghaḥ)

• avāpya: having reached/obtained
• avāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ava-āp (अव+आप्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having obtained/reached’

• kāśīm: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• kāśīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• paritaḥ: all around
• paritaḥ: Desha (Adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: all around)

• praśānti-dām: peace-giving
• praśānti-dām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (दा) (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘द’ = giver)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Tatpuruṣa: ‘प्रशान्तिदा’ = giver of peace; Feminine accusative singular (qualifying kāśīm)

• samasta-saṃtāpa-vighāta-hetukām: cause of destroying all sufferings
• samasta-saṃtāpa-vighāta-hetukām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vighāta (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘समस्तसंतापविघातहेतु’ = cause of destruction of all afflictions; Feminine accusative singular (qualifying kāśīm)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim arriving at Kāśī’s ghāṭas at dawn; the inner ‘burning of separation’ is shown as a fading red aura, replaced by cool moonlike peace as the city’s sacred skyline and Viśvanātha’s presence radiate calm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a supreme refuge whose very attainment brings profound peace and dissolves worldly anguish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as a peace-giving sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the merit emphasized is the spiritual fruit of reaching/abiding in Kāśī.