Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वैश्वेश्वरी पुरी चैषा यथा मे चित्तहारिणी । सर्वापि न तथा क्षोणी न स्वर्गो नैव नागभूः

Transliteration

vaiśveśvarī purī caiṣā yathā me cittahāriṇī | sarvāpi na tathā kṣoṇī na svargo naiva nāgabhūḥ

Translation

This city of Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī, of Viśveśvara) captivates my heart as no other place does—neither the whole earth, nor heaven, nor even the world of the Nāgas compares to it.

Word by Word

• vaiśveśvarī: belonging to Viśveśvara
• vaiśveśvarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśveśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• purī: city
• purī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• eṣā: this (she/this one)
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yathā: as; just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• citta-hāriṇī: heart-stealing; mind-enchanting
• citta-hāriṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + hāriṇī (हृ धातु, णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• sarvā: every (one)
• sarvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: particle (even/also)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• tathā: so; to that extent
• tathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'so/thus/in that way')

• kṣoṇī: earth
• kṣoṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣoṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• svargaḥ: heaven
• svargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• nāga-bhūḥ: the Nāga-world (nether region)
• nāga-bhūḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī) / Viśveśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic map-like tableau: Kāśī at center with Viśveśvara’s radiance; around it, faint rings representing Bhū-loka, Svarga, and Nāga-bhūmi, all dimmer; a devotee’s heart motif drawn toward Kāśī’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī)
• Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha (Śiva)
• Svarga
• Nāga-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is affirmed as incomparable across worlds, indicating its unique status as Śiva’s city and a supreme field for spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaiśveśvarī Purī—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) associated with Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is pure praise of place (sthāna-stuti) emphasizing Kāśī’s unmatched merit.