Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

इत्युद्देशात्समाख्याता महेंद्रनगरी स्थितिः । यायजूका वसंत्यत्र यज्ञविद्याविशारदाः

Transliteration

ityuddeśātsamākhyātā maheṃdranagarī sthitiḥ | yāyajūkā vasaṃtyatra yajñavidyāviśāradāḥ

Translation

Así, por esta breve indicación, ha sido descrita la condición de la ciudad de Mahendra. Aquí moran los Yāyajūkas, expertos consumados en la ciencia del sacrificio.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक निपात (quotative particle: thus)

• uddeśāt: from (this) description/indication
• uddeśāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause-Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• samākhyātā: is called, is named
• samākhyātā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√khyā (धातु) → samākhyāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; "called/declared"

• mahendra-nagarī: Mahendra’s city
• mahendra-nagarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक) + nagarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—"महेन्द्रस्य नगरī"

• sthitiḥ: state, condition, situation
• sthitiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yāyajūkāḥ: ritual priests (yāyajūkas)
• yāyajūkāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāyajūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; याज्ञिक-विशेषः (a class of priests/ritualists)

• vasanti: live, dwell
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• yajña-vidyā-viśāradāḥ: skilled in the knowledge of sacrifices
• yajña-vidyā-viśāradāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—"यज्ञविद्यायां विशारदाः" (expert in sacrificial lore)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahendranagarī (as described realm) within Kāśī’s praise

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-figure gestures across a panoramic celestial city; groups of yāyajūka priests are shown teaching, chanting, and arranging ritual implements—an orderly tableau emphasizing expertise.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendranagarī
• Yāyajūkas
• Yajña-vidyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred realm is defined by dharmic culture—especially the preservation and mastery of yajña-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahendranagarī (Mahendra’s city), as narrated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa sacred-topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; it highlights expertise in yajña-vidyā and the presence of professional sacrificers (yāyajūkas).