Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

इदं रम्यमिदं नेति बीजं दुःखमहातरोः । तस्मिन्काश्यग्निना दग्धे दुःखस्यावसरः कुतः

Transliteration

idaṃ ramyamidaṃ neti bījaṃ duḥkhamahātaroḥ | tasminkāśyagninā dagdhe duḥkhasyāvasaraḥ kutaḥ

Translation

“ນີ້ນ່າຊື່ນຊົມ, ນີ້ບໍ່ແມ່ນ”—ການຍຶດຕິດແລະປະຕິເສດແບບນີ້ແມ່ນເມັດພັນຂອງຕົ້ນໄມ້ໃຫຍ່ແຫ່ງທຸກຂ໌. ເມື່ອເມັດນັ້ນຖືກເຜົາດ້ວຍໄຟສັກສິດແຫ່ງກາຊີ ທຸກຂ໌ຈະຫາທີ່ຢືນໄດ້ຢູ່ໃສ?

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshya (Correlative/अनुवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ramyam: pleasant, delightful
• ramyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshya (Correlative/अनुवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• bījam: seed
• bījam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• duḥkha-mahā-taroḥ: of the great tree of sorrow
• duḥkha-mahā-taroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (उपसर्गवत्/प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case) एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): 'दुःखस्य महातरुः'

• tasmin: in that (tree/seed context)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kāśy-agninā: by the fire of Kāśī
• kāśy-agninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd case) एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): 'काश्याः अग्निः' → 'काश्यग्निः'

• dagdhe: when (it) is burnt
• dagdhe: Kriya-visheshana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु) → dagdha (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग सन्दर्भानुसार; 'तस्मिन् ... दग्धे' (locative absolute)

• duḥkhasya: of sorrow
• duḥkhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• avasaraḥ: opportunity, occasion
• avasaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avasara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• kutaḥ: whence? how (could there be)?
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'from where?/how?')

Speaker

Bhagavān (continuing the Dhruva dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An inner-vision scene: the ‘seed’ of sorrow labeled ‘idam ramyam/idam neti’ is cast into a blazing sacred fire identified with Kāśī; the tree of sorrow withers into ash while a pilgrim stands serene on a ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kāśy-agni (fire of Kāśī)
• Duḥkha
• Rāga-dveṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dualistic clinging (‘like/dislike’) generates suffering; Kāśī is praised as a purifier that destroys its very seed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, described metaphorically as a spiritual ‘fire’ that burns the roots of sorrow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse teaches inner renunciation, framed through Kāśī’s sanctifying power.