Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या काचिदक्षकलालया । आलापोल्लासकुशला काचिच्चत्वरचारिणी

Transliteration

gaṃdhabhāgavidhijñānyā kācidakṣakalālayā | ālāpollāsakuśalā kāciccatvaracāriṇī

Translation

L’une connaissait les justes mesures et procédés des parfums et des fragrances ; une autre se plaisait à l’art des dés. L’une excellait dans la parole charmante et les réjouissances ; une autre errait sur les places et aux carrefours.

Word by Word

• गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या: knowing the rules of perfume-mixtures/portions
• गंधभागविधिज्ञान्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्ध + भाग + विधि + ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा

• अक्षकलालया: a repository of dice-skill/arts of gaming
• अक्षकलालया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष + कलालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (कलालय = कलानां आलयः)

• आलापोल्लासकुशला: skilled in musical prelude and flourish
• आलापोल्लासकुशला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आलाप + उल्लास + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा

• चत्वरचारिणी: one who roams the crossroads/squares
• चत्वरचारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वर + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī catvara: one woman measuring perfumes and mixing fragrant pastes; another at a dice game with onlookers; a third engaging in witty conversation amid festivity; a fourth roaming the crossroads as pilgrims pass toward a temple.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse paints Kāśī as a complete human world—arts, leisure, and public life—against the backdrop of a kṣetra where dharma can still be pursued.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the sacred city; the verse does not isolate a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.