Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

स्थितोपि भगवनीशो मंदरं चारुकंदरम् । काशीं विना रतिं नाऽप दिवोदासनृपोषिताम्

Transliteration

sthitopi bhagavanīśo maṃdaraṃ cārukaṃdaram | kāśīṃ vinā ratiṃ nā'pa divodāsanṛpoṣitām

Translation

सुन्दर गुफाओं वाले मन्दर पर्वत पर निवास करते हुए भी भगवान ईश्वर को काशी के बिना रति न हुई, यद्यपि उस समय काशी का पालन राजा दिवोदास कर रहे थे।

Word by Word

• स्थितः: though (he) stayed / being stationed
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjectival to subject

• अपि: even/though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive/emphatic

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; apposition to भगवान्

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying कन्दरम्

• कन्दरम्: cave/cleft (mountain with lovely caves)
• कन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; in apposition to मन्दरम्

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Apadana (Ablative-sense with vinā/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like), ‘without’ governing accusative

• रतिम्: delight/pleasure
• रतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• आप: obtained/attained
• आप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दिवोदास-नृप-उषिताम्: dwelt in/inhabited by King Divodāsa
• दिवोदास-नृप-उषिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक) + नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वस्)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘दिवोदासस्य नृपस्य उषिता’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying काशीम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra; Viśveśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva seated amid Mandara’s charming caves, yet his gaze and heart turn toward Kāśī; a subtle aura or vision of Viśveśvara-linga and Gaṅgā-ghāṭas appears as the true object of longing, while Divodāsa’s royal presence is hinted in the background as the current custodian of the city.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)
• Mandara
• Kāśī
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as uniquely dear to Śiva—so much so that even divine abodes cannot replace its spiritual attraction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), contrasted with Mandara mountain to highlight Kāśī’s unsurpassed sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets narrative context for the Divodāsa episode and Kāśī’s supremacy.