Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

विश्वेशानुगृहीतानां विच्छिन्नाखिलकर्मणाम् । भवेत्काशीं प्रति मतिर्नेतरेषां कदाचन

Transliteration

viśveśānugṛhītānāṃ vicchinnākhilakarmaṇām | bhavetkāśīṃ prati matirnetareṣāṃ kadācana

Translation

Seuls ceux que Viśveśa, Seigneur de Kāśī, a comblés de sa grâce, et dont tous les karmas amassés ont été tranchés, développent une véritable inclination vers Kāśī ; chez les autres, jamais un tel retournement de l’esprit ne naît.

Word by Word

• विश्वेश: of Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive Singular) — ‘विश्वेशस्य’ (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अनुगृहीतानाम्: of those who are favored/blessed
• अनुगृहीतानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu√grah (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय) → anugṛhīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural)

• विच्छिन्न: cut off, severed
• विच्छिन्न: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√chid (धातु) + kta → vicchinna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural) — समासपूर्वपद

• अखिल: all, entire
• अखिल: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural) — समासपूर्वपद

• कर्मणाम्: of actions (karmas)
• कर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural)

• भवेत्: would be / may arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• प्रति: towards, with regard to
• प्रति: Relation (Directional/target marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• मतिः: inclination, thought, devotion
• मतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• इतरेषाम्: of others
• इतरेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive Plural)

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• कदाचन: Adverbial (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa dialogue style, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra (Viśveśa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s mind turning toward Kāśī as if pulled by an unseen grace: Viśveśa’s luminous presence above the city, karmic bonds depicted as severed threads falling away.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Love for Kāśī is portrayed as the fruit of Viśveśa’s grace and the cessation of karmic bondage, not merely personal choice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially under the lordship of Viśveśa, is praised as a rare spiritual destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes divine grace and karmic purification as the basis for pilgrimage-mindedness.