Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

सत्वरं यात योगिन्यो मम वाराणसीं पुरीम् । यत्र राजा दिवोदासो राज्यं धर्मेण शास्त्यलम्

Transliteration

satvaraṃ yāta yoginyo mama vārāṇasīṃ purīm | yatra rājā divodāso rājyaṃ dharmeṇa śāstyalam

Translation

Allez sans tarder, ô Yoginīs, vers ma cité de Vārāṇasī, où le roi Divodāsa administre pleinement son royaume selon le dharma.

Word by Word

• सत्वरम्: quickly, hastily
• सत्वरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• यात: go
• यात: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• योगिन्यः: the Yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; विशेषण (वाराणसीम्/पुरीम्)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (वाराणसीम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• दिवोदासः: Divodāsa
• दिवोदासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• धर्मेण: by/with dharma, righteously
• धर्मेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• शास्ति: rules, governs
• शास्ति: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अलम्: fully, sufficiently
• अलम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पर्याप्त्यर्थक (particle of sufficiency/adequacy)

Speaker

Śiva (Hara / Vyomakeśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva issues a direct command to the Yoginīs: depart swiftly to Vārāṇasī, where King Divodāsa rules righteously; the Yoginīs poised for departure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Yoginīs
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• King Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even worldly governance becomes sacred when rooted in dharma; Kāśī’s story ties kingship to divine oversight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī—explicitly named as Śiva’s own city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a command initiating the next episode involving Yoginī-power and the fate of Kāśī.