Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

किंचित्काश्या उदीच्यां च गत्वा देवेन चक्रिणा । स्वस्थित्यै कल्पितं स्थानं धर्मक्षेत्रमितीरितम्

Transliteration

kiṃcitkāśyā udīcyāṃ ca gatvā devena cakriṇā | svasthityai kalpitaṃ sthānaṃ dharmakṣetramitīritam

Translation

Having gone a little to the north of Kāśī, the discus-bearing Lord (Cakrin) fashioned a place for his own abiding; it is spoken of as ‘Dharmakṣetra’, the Field of Dharma.

Word by Word

• किंचित्: a little
• किंचित्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: परिमाण-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ‘a little/somewhat’)

• काश्याः: from Kāśī
• काश्याः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the northern direction
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having gone’

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चक्रिणा: by the discus-bearer (Vishnu)
• चक्रिणा: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण देवस्य (one who bears the discus)

• स्वस्थित्यै: for his own abiding
• स्वस्थित्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘for his own staying/abiding’)

• कल्पितम्: arranged, fashioned
• कल्पितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्पित (कृदन्त; √कॢप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; स्थानम् इति विशेषण

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मक्षेत्रम्: Dharma-kṣetra, sacred field
• धर्मक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘field of dharma’)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-parisamapti (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय

• ईरितम्: was called, was said
• ईरितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियापद)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईरित (कृदन्त; √ईर्/ईरय् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘called/said’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmakṣetra (north of Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (unnamed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, bearing the discus, moves slightly north of Kāśī and establishes a dedicated abode called Dharmakṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viṣṇu (Cakrin)
• Dharmakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is dharma made visible: divine abodes establish ‘fields’ where righteousness is supported and practiced.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A place north of Kāśī identified as Dharmakṣetra, associated with Viṣṇu’s abiding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the focus is on identifying and honoring the sacred site as Dharmakṣetra.