Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

यत्काश्यां दक्षिणद्वारमंतर्गेहस्य कीर्त्यते । तत्र ब्रह्मेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

yatkāśyāṃ dakṣiṇadvāramaṃtargehasya kīrtyate | tatra brahmeśvaraṃ dṛṣṭvā brahmaloke mahīyate

Translation

That which in Kāśī is famed as the southern gateway of the inner sanctuary—upon beholding Brahmeśvara there, one is honored and exalted in Brahmaloka, the world of Brahmā.

Word by Word

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• dakṣiṇa-dvāram: the southern gate/door
• dakṣiṇa-dvāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (dakṣiṇaṃ dvāram)

• antaḥ-gehasya: of the inner house
• antaḥ-gehasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antaḥ (अव्यय) + geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (antaḥ gehasya = of the inner house)

• kīrtyate: is proclaimed/said
• kīrtyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• brahmeśvaram: Brahmeśvara (Lord of Brahmā)
• brahmeśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (brahmaṇaḥ īśvaraḥ)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• brahma-loke: in Brahmaloka
• brahma-loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (brahmaṇaḥ lokaḥ)

• mahīyate: is honored/exalted
• mahīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि-भाव (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśvara (at the southern gateway of the antargeha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages / addressed as ‘brāhmaṇa’ in-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred southern gateway leading into an inner courtyard; a liṅga-shrine of Brahmeśvara stands nearby as pilgrims pause at the threshold for darśana; subtle radiance suggests Brahmaloka’s blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Brahmeśvara
• Brahmaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred micro-geography is itself salvific; even a single darśana at a named spot yields exalted posthumous merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmeśvara in Kāśī, identified with the ‘southern gateway’ of the inner sacred precinct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed here; the stated practice is darśana (beholding) of Brahmeśvara.