Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तुच्छश्रियः स्वर्गभूमीः परिहायागतैरिव । नानासुरनिकायैश्च विष्वग्भोगेच्छयोषितम्

Transliteration

tucchaśriyaḥ svargabhūmīḥ parihāyāgatairiva | nānāsuranikāyaiśca viṣvagbhogecchayoṣitam

Translation

ಸ್ವರ್ಗಶ್ರೀಯನ್ನು ತুচ್ಛವೆಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಭೂಮಿಗಳನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿ ಬಂದವರಂತೆ—ನಾನಾವಿಧ ದೇವಗಣಗಳು ಆ ಪುಣ್ಯಭೋಗವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲ ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳಿಂದ ಆಕರ್ಷಿತರಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವಂತೆ ತೋಚಿತು।

Word by Word

• तुच्छश्रियः: of paltry splendor / meanly glorious
• तुच्छश्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुच्छ-श्री (प्रातिपदिक; तुच्छ + श्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. pl.)

• स्वर्गभूमीः: the heavenly regions/lands
• स्वर्गभूमीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-भूमि (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म (fem. acc. pl.)

• परिहाय: having abandoned
• परिहाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-हा (धातु; त्यागे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having abandoned’

• आगतैः: by those who had come
• आगतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु; गत्यर्थ) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (masc. instr. pl.)

• इव: as if / like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थे अव्यय (indeclinable used adjectivally: ‘various’)

• असुरनिकायैः: by groups of demons
• असुरनिकायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर-निकाय (प्रातिपदिक; असुर + निकाय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (masc. instr. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विष्वक्: everywhere / on all sides
• विष्वक्: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्वक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘on all sides/everywhere’)

• भोगेच्छया: by desire for enjoyment
• भोगेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग-इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक; भोग + इच्छा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (fem. instr. sg.)

• उषितम्: dwelt/was inhabited
• उषितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु; निवासे) → उषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘dwelt/inhabited’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous vision of Kāśī as a city/kshetra so attractive that celestial beings appear to have abandoned heaven; divine hosts gather in all directions, drawn by the promise of blessed enjoyments and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras)
• Svarga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is presented as surpassing even heaven—true spiritual excellence lies in a dharma-saturated tīrtha, not mere celestial luxury.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a puṇya-kṣetra so exalted that even devas are portrayed as residing there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse underscores the fruit of presence/association with the holy place.