Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

न यदा भूमिवलयं न यदाऽपां समुद्भवः । तदा विहर्तुमीशेन क्षेत्रमेतद्विनि र्मितम्

Transliteration

na yadā bhūmivalayaṃ na yadā'pāṃ samudbhavaḥ | tadā vihartumīśena kṣetrametadvini rmitam

Translation

Quand il n’y avait pas encore l’anneau de la terre, et quand les eaux n’étaient pas encore nées, alors—pour que le Seigneur pût se divertir—ce kṣetra sacré fut façonné.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb ‘when’)

• भूमिवलयम्: the earth-circle; the terrestrial sphere
• भूमिवलयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि-वलय (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + वलय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb ‘when’)

• अपाम्: of the waters
• अपाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — feminine, genitive, plural

• समुद्भवः: origin/arising
• समुद्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम् + उद् + भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — masculine, nominative, singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb ‘then’)

• विहर्तुम्: to sport/play
• विहर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+हृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक — infinitive of purpose

• ईशेन: by the Lord
• ईशेन: Kartr-karana (Agent expressed by instrumental/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन — masculine, instrumental, singular

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative, singular; विशेषणम्

• विनिर्मितम्: was created/constructed
• विनिर्मितम्: Kriya (Predicative verbal notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+निर्+मा (धातु) → विनिर्मित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle used predicatively (‘was made’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (implied by adjacent address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pre-cosmic void—no earth-ring, no waters—then a radiant sacred field appears, as if drawn by Īśvara’s will for divine play; Śiva’s presence implied as the architect of sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)
• Cosmic pre-creation state

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s holiness is primordial—rooted in divine will prior to cosmic formation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra of Kāśī, described as pre-cosmic and intentionally established by Īśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an origin-affirmation supporting pilgrimage faith and kṣetra-mahātmya.