Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

काश्यां रहस्यं परममेतत्ते कथितं मुने । यथा तीर्थत्रयीश्रेष्ठा स्वस्वकाले विशेषतः

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ rahasyaṃ paramametatte kathitaṃ mune | yathā tīrthatrayīśreṣṭhā svasvakāle viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Ô sage, je t’ai confié ce suprême secret au sujet de Kāśī : comment, parmi la triade des tīrtha, le plus éminent devient tout particulièrement prépondérant, chacun en son temps prescrit.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: secret, mystery
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying रहस्यम्)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat. 6th/4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक (as/just as)

• तीर्थत्रयीश्रेष्ठा: the best among the triad of tīrthas
• तीर्थत्रयीश्रेष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha + trayī + śreṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थत्रयी-मध्ये श्रेष्ठा)

• स्वस्वकाले: in its respective time
• स्वस्वकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + sva + kāla (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वः स्वः कालः = each one’s own time)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषणार्थक (especially)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī tīrtha-trayī (triad of principal tīrthas within Kāśī, each supreme in its own time)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru-like narrator in Kāśī reveals an esoteric hierarchy of tīrthas, indicating that each becomes foremost in its appointed season; the city’s ghāṭas and the Gaṅgā form the sacred backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• tīrtha-trayī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred power is presented as an esoteric teaching, where tīrthas have divinely appointed times in which their merit shines most.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in general, with reference to a ‘triad of tīrthas’ whose relative excellence is discussed in this chapter’s context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it introduces a teaching about the timing and special efficacy of tīrthas.