Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

धन्या मद्भक्तिलक्ष्माणो ब्राह्मणाः काशिवासिनः । यूयं यच्चेतसो वृत्तेर्न दूरेहं न काशिका

Transliteration

dhanyā madbhaktilakṣmāṇo brāhmaṇāḥ kāśivāsinaḥ | yūyaṃ yaccetaso vṛtterna dūrehaṃ na kāśikā

Translation

Bienheureux sont les brāhmaṇas demeurant à Kāśī, marqués par la richesse de la dévotion envers Moi. Pour vous, par le seul mouvement de l’esprit, ni Je ne suis loin, ni Kāśikā ne l’est.

Word by Word

• dhanyāḥ: blessed, fortunate
• dhanyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• madbhaktilakṣmāṇaḥ: having the mark/wealth of devotion to me
• madbhaktilakṣmāṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mat-bhakti-lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (मद्भक्तिः लक्ष्मा यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kāśivāsinaḥ: residents of Kāśī
• kāśivāsinaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī-vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (काश्यां वासी), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; जातिवाचक

• yūyam: you (all)
• yūyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• yat: since
• yat: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धक-अव्यय (relative particle) ‘since/because’

• cetasaḥ: of the mind
• cetasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vṛtteḥ: of the disposition/behavior
• vṛtteḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• dūre: far (away)
• dūre: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (as adverbial locative)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• kāśikā: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• kāśikā: Karta (Predicate nominal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (काशी-सम्बद्धा/काशी)

Speaker

Śiva (as Maheśāna), addressing Kāśīvāsin brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of Kāśī-dwelling brāhmaṇas with rudrākṣa and tripuṇḍra sit in meditation; above them, Śiva’s presence appears as a near, luminous form, and the city itself is shown as a mandala within their hearts.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Kāśī (Kāśikā)
• Śiva (implied by aham)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Through devotion and a mind turned toward Śiva, divine presence and the sanctity of Kāśī become immediately accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Kāśikā), especially in relation to its devout resident brāhmaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is specified; the verse emphasizes bhakti and the right disposition of mind as the sustaining practice.