Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

मुक्तिदा न मही सा मे वाराणस्यां महीयसी । तन्मही रजसा साम्यं त्रिलोक्यपि न चोद्वहेत्

Transliteration

muktidā na mahī sā me vārāṇasyāṃ mahīyasī | tanmahī rajasā sāmyaṃ trilokyapi na codvahet

Translation

Cette terre qui est mienne à Vārāṇasī est souverainement grande ; ce n’est pas une simple « terre » : elle est dispensatrice de délivrance. Même les trois mondes ne sauraient égaler sa poussière.

Word by Word

• मुक्तिदा: giver of liberation
• मुक्तिदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (giver of liberation)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• मही: earth, land
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महीयसी: greater, more exalted
• महीयसी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahīyas (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनार्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तुलनात्मक (comparative: greater)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषणरूपेण

• मही: earth/land
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• रजसा: with dust
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• साम्यम्: equality, parity
• साम्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• त्रिलोक्यपि: even in the three worlds
• त्रिलोक्यपि: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (in the three worlds) + अपि (even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

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

• उद्वहेत्: would bear/maintain
• उद्वहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vah (वह्) + ud- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (probable; first-person possessive ‘my’ and liberation-granting Kāśī motif)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic comparison scene: the three worlds are shown as vast spheres, yet a tiny handful of Kāśī’s dust shines brighter, indicating its incomparable liberating potency; pilgrims bow to the ground of Vārāṇasī.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Trilokī (three worlds)
• Mukti (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is exalted as intrinsically liberating; even contact with its dust is portrayed as spiritually incomparable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī as a whole, with special emphasis on its sanctified ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse establishes the exceptional sanctity that undergirds pilgrimage, worship, and dāna in Kāśī.