Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

येषां हृदि सदैवास्ते काशीत्वाशीविषां गद । संसाराशीविषविषं न तेषां प्रभवेत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ hṛdi sadaivāste kāśītvāśīviṣāṃ gada | saṃsārāśīviṣaviṣaṃ na teṣāṃ prabhavetkvacit

Translation

Wahai resi, bagi mereka yang di dalam hatinya senantiasa bersemayam hakikat “Kāśī”—laksana penawar bisa ular—racun saṁsāra yang bagaikan bisa ular tak pernah menguasai mereka kapan pun.

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• आस्ते: abides/is present
• आस्ते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg.); आत्मनेपद

• काशीत्व-आशीविषाम्: of the serpents of Kāśī-ness (i.e., the Kāśī-mantra as a serpent)
• काशीत्व-आशीविषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीत्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काशीत्वस्य आशीविषः = the serpent of Kāśī-ness); षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• गद: O Gada (address)
• गद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

• संसार-आशीविष-विषम्: the poison of the saṃsāra-serpent
• संसार-आशीविष-विषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (संसारस्य आशीविषस्य विषम् = poison of the serpent of saṃsāra); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

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

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• प्रभवेत्: would arise/prevail
• प्रभवेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रभू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Optative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (at any time/anywhere)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (internalized Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘O sage’ addressed (gade) indicates a ṛṣi is being spoken to; exact names not provided in the excerpt.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a listener; within a devotee’s heart-lotus shines the word ‘Kāśī’ as a luminous gem, while a dark serpent labeled ‘Saṃsāra’ recoils, its venom rendered harmless.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Saṃsāra
• Āśīviṣa (serpent-venom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained inner remembrance of Kāśī is portrayed as a powerful antidote to the suffering and bondage of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised not only as a place but as a transformative spiritual power held in the heart.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, constant remembrance (smaraṇa) of Kāśī; no external rite is specified in this verse.