Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

सत्यलोके क्व तत्सौख्यं क्व सौख्यं वैष्णवे पदे । यत्सौख्यं लभ्यते काश्यां निमेषार्धनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

satyaloke kva tatsaukhyaṃ kva saukhyaṃ vaiṣṇave pade | yatsaukhyaṃ labhyate kāśyāṃ nimeṣārdhaniṣevaṇāt

Translation

Where is such bliss even in Satyaloka, and where even in the Vaiṣṇava realm, compared to the bliss gained in Kāśī by serving her for but half a moment?

Word by Word

• सत्यलोके: in Satyaloka
• सत्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—सत्य + लोक (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थ)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (demonstrative)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वैष्णवे: in/at Vaiṣṇava (Vishnu’s)
• वैष्णवे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पदे: in the abode/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निमेषार्धनिषेवणात्: from (even) half a moment’s attendance/service
• निमेषार्धनिषेवणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष + अर्ध + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—निमेषस्य अर्धम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + निषेवण (तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्ध-निषेवण’)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as kṣetra-māhātmya statement)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous vision of Kāśī as a radiant kṣetra on the Gaṅgā, with celestial realms (Satyaloka, Vaikuṇṭha) shown diminished in the background; a devotee gains sudden bliss by a moment’s reverent service.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Satyaloka
• Vaiṣṇava pada (Viṣṇu’s realm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with Kāśī is portrayed as extraordinarily potent—surpassing even celestial enjoyments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as granting bliss even through momentary association.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The ‘prescription’ is niṣevaṇa—resorting to/serving Kāśī, even briefly.