Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

न तादृग्धर्मसंभारो लभ्यते क्रतुकोटिभिः । यादृग्वाराणसी वीथी संचारेण पदेपदे

Transliteration

na tādṛgdharmasaṃbhāro labhyate kratukoṭibhiḥ | yādṛgvārāṇasī vīthī saṃcāreṇa padepade

Translation

Un tel trésor de dharma ne s’obtient pas même par des crores de sacrifices védiques ; et pourtant il se gagne—pas à pas—en parcourant simplement les rues de Vārāṇasī.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• तादृक्: such (of that kind)
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of धर्मसंभारः)

• धर्मसंभारः: accumulation/collection of merit (dharma)
• धर्मसंभारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-संभार (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + संभार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्माणां संभारः)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive: 'is obtained')

• क्रतुकोटिभिः: by crores of sacrifices
• क्रतुकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; क्रतु + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रतूनां कोटिभिः)

• यादृक्: such as (which kind)
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of वीथी)

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-नाम

• वीथी: street/road
• वीथी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीथी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संचारेण: by walking/roaming
• संचारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियासाधन-भाव (by moving about)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे पुनरुक्तिः

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī-vīthayaḥ (streets of Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stream moves through narrow Kāśī lanes lined with small shrines and liṅgas; each footstep emits a faint glow of merit; distant yajña fires appear dim in comparison, symbolizing kratu-koṭi surpassed.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography can surpass ritual magnitude: Kāśī grants extraordinary merit through simple contact and movement within it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī itself—especially its vīthīs (lanes/streets) as a sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vīthī-saṃcāra—pilgrimage-walking through Vārāṇasī (a form of sacred circumambulation/holy roaming).