Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यदाप्रभृत्यगां काश्या मंदरं सर्वसुंदरम् । महानियमवानेष तदारभ्योज्झिताशनः

Transliteration

yadāprabhṛtyagāṃ kāśyā maṃdaraṃ sarvasuṃdaram | mahāniyamavāneṣa tadārabhyojjhitāśanaḥ

Translation

Depuis qu’il est venu à Kāśī —Mandara, toute beauté, la plus charmante de toutes— cet homme a pratiqué de grandes austérités; et dès lors il a renoncé à toute nourriture.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• प्रभृति: since/from then
• प्रभृति: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘आदि/आरभ्य’ अर्थे (since/from)

• अगाम्: went
• अगाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• काश्याः: from Kāśī
• काश्याः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Destination as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गमनस्य कर्म

• सर्वसुन्दरम्: most beautiful of all
• सर्वसुन्दरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मन्दरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः ‘सर्वेषु सुन्दरम्’

• महानियमवान्: of great restraint
• महानियमवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महानियमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः

• एषः: this (person)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Kala-adhikarana (Starting point/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (absolutive) ‘आरभ्य’ = आरम्भं कृत्वा/आरम्भात्

• उज्झिताशनः: one who has given up eating
• उज्झिताशनः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + हा (धातु) + क्त → उज्झित + अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘उज्झितम् अशनं यस्य’ (having abandoned food); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-पूर्वपद

Speaker

Śiva (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as Mandara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī vista—temple spires, ghāṭ steps, and luminous sky—captioned ‘Mandara’. In the foreground, Jaigīṣavya arrives with a staff and waterpot, then gradually becomes emaciated through prolonged fasting, seated near a shrine in unwavering meditation.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mandara
• Jaigīṣavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme spiritual arena where intense niyama and renunciation mature toward divine encounter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised as ‘Mandara, most beautiful,’ indicating a sanctified locale within Kāśī’s sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a prescription, but a description of a severe vrata: long-term fasting (giving up food) alongside strict niyamas.