Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

काश्यां यस्यास्ति वै प्रेम तेन कृत्वाऽदरं गुरुम् । श्रोतव्यमिदमाख्यानं वज्रपंजरसन्निभम्

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ yasyāsti vai prema tena kṛtvā'daraṃ gurum | śrotavyamidamākhyānaṃ vajrapaṃjarasannibham

Translation

Barangsiapa sungguh berkasih pada Kāśī, hendaklah ia terlebih dahulu memuliakan Guru dengan hormat, lalu mendengarkan kisah suci ini—teguh dan melindungi bagaikan sangkar wajra yang tak terpatahkan.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• प्रेम: love
• प्रेम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-भाव (subject of 'asti')

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• आदरम्: respect
• आदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of 'kृत्वा')

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object/goal: 'guru' as object of honoring)

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be heard
• श्रोतव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (to be heard)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object of hearing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्य-निर्देश (this)

• आख्यानम्: narrative
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'इदम्' का विशेष्य; श्रवणकर्म

• वज्रपंजरसन्निभम्: like a vajra-cage (adamantine enclosure)
• वज्रपंजरसन्निभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-पंजर-सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक; वज्र + पंजर + सन्निभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (आख्यानम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general framing)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted pilgrim bows to a seated Guru at the threshold of Kāśī; behind them rises the luminous city with ghāṭas and temple spires; a subtle vajra-cage aura encircles the manuscript/teaching being transmitted.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Kāśī should be joined with reverence to the Guru; hearing the māhātmya becomes spiritually protective and stabilizing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a sacred kṣetra, praised through the act of hearing its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) to the sacred account, preceded by honoring the Guru (guru-satkāra).