Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

इयं च राजधानी ते कर्मभूमावनुत्तमा । यस्यां कृतानां कार्याणां संवर्तेपि न संक्षयः

Transliteration

iyaṃ ca rājadhānī te karmabhūmāvanuttamā | yasyāṃ kṛtānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ saṃvartepi na saṃkṣayaḥ

Translation

Cette cité royale qui est la tienne est un champ d’action sans pareil ; les actes accomplis ici ne s’éteignent pas même au temps de la dissolution cosmique.

Word by Word

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• rājadhānī: capital city
• rājadhānī: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja-dhānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः = राज्ञः धानी/धान्यते इति (तत्पुरुषः) ‘royal capital’

• te: of you; your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘your’

• karmabhūmā: (the) land/field of action
• karmabhūmā: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma-bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः = कर्मणः भूमिः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘field of action’

• anuttamā: unsurpassed
• anuttamā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘rājadhānī/karmabhūmā’ विशेषण

• yasyām: in which
• yasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative) referring to the city

• kṛtānām: of done (acts)
• kṛtānām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ करणे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘done’; ‘kāryāṇām’ विशेषण

• kāryāṇām: of deeds/acts
• kāryāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• saṃvarte: at the cosmic dissolution
• saṃvarte: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘प्रलये’ अर्थे (at dissolution)

• api: even
• api: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — ‘even’

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• saṃkṣayaḥ: destruction; loss
• saṃkṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King (addressed as ‘te’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī cityscape shown as timeless: while cosmic waves of dissolution swirl at the horizon, the sacred city remains luminous; devotees perform worship and charity, symbolizing imperishable deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is exalted as a unique karmabhūmi where spiritual merit becomes enduring and indestructible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the ‘royal city’ and unsurpassed karmabhūmi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general encouragement to perform dharmic acts in Kāśī; no single rite is singled out.