Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

सप्तानां च पुरीणां हि धुरी णामवयाम्यहम् । वाराणसीं सुनिर्वाणविश्राणनविचक्षणाम्

Transliteration

saptānāṃ ca purīṇāṃ hi dhurī ṇāmavayāmyaham | vārāṇasīṃ sunirvāṇaviśrāṇanavicakṣaṇām

Translation

Parmi les sept cités sacrées, je proclame Vārāṇasī la première, experte à dispenser le Nirvāṇa suprême, la délivrance ultime.

Word by Word

• सप्तानाम्: of seven
• सप्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of seven’ (पुरीणाम् इति विशेषणम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• पुरीणाम्: of cities
• पुरीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• धुरी: the foremost (at the yoke)
• धुरी: Karma (Object complement/कर्मप्रवचनीयार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘the foremost/at the yoke’

• नाम: indeed; namely
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (as/namely; indeed)

• वयामि: I choose/seek
• वयामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वय् (धातु; वय्/वे)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः ‘वयामि’ = ‘I choose/seek/aim at’ (पाठार्थानुसार)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• सुनिर्वाणविश्राणनविचक्षणाम्: skilled in granting supreme liberation
• सुनिर्वाणविश्राणनविचक्षणाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-निर्वाण-विश्राणन-विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; सु + निर्वाण + विश्राणन + विचक्षण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; वाराणसीम् इति विशेषणम्; ‘excellent in bestowing complete nirvāṇa (liberation)’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal proclamation scene: a sage-like figure points toward a radiant Vārāṇasī rising above the Gaṅgā, while seven sacred cities appear as symbolic emblems, with Kāśī enthroned at the center as the giver of nirvāṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Sapta-purī (Seven Sacred Cities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is proclaimed pre-eminent among the most sacred cities because it is uniquely potent for final liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), singled out as the leader among the seven sacred cities (sapta-purī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a doctrinal ranking within tīrtha-māhātmya.