Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यत्र संति शतं स्तंभा भास्वंतो द्वादशोत्तराः । एकैकं भुवनं धर्तुमष्टाष्टाविति कल्पिताः

Transliteration

yatra saṃti śataṃ staṃbhā bhāsvaṃto dvādaśottarāḥ | ekaikaṃ bhuvanaṃ dhartumaṣṭāṣṭāviti kalpitāḥ

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಶತಮಾನ ಭಾಸ್ವರ ಸ್ತಂಭಗಳಿವೆ; ಪ್ರಮಾಣ-ತೇಜಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವಾದಶಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಅಧಿಕ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಸ್ತಂಭವೂ ಅಷ್ಟ-ಅಷ್ಟ ಬಲಸಂಪನ್ನವೆಂದು ಕಲ್ಪಿತ; ಒಬ್ಬನೇ ಒಂದು ಲೋಕವನ್ನೇ ಧರಿಸಬಲ್ಲದಂತೆ.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• स्तम्भाः: pillars
• स्तम्भाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• भास्वन्तः: shining
• भास्वन्तः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• द्वादशोत्तराः: twelve more (i.e., 112)
• द्वादशोत्तराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यासमासः (numeral compound) = ‘द्वादश अधिकाः’ (twelve more)

• एकैकम्: each one
• एकैकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; वितरणार्थक (distributive)

• भुवनम्: world
• भुवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• धर्तुम्: to support/hold
• धर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• अष्टाष्टौ: eight and eight (sixteen)
• अष्टाष्टौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक-द्वन्द्व (8 and 8 = sixteen)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कल्पिताः: were arranged/appointed
• कल्पिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A resplendent celestial hall in Kāśī with one hundred radiant pillars, each colossal and world-bearing, arranged in symmetrical rows; light emanates as if supporting the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Avimukta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred realm is portrayed as supramundane—its very architecture symbolizes divine support for liberation and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised through imagery of an extraordinary divine structure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a eulogy describing the miraculous features of Kāśī.