Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कलावानेक एवास्ति त्रिदिवेपि दिवौकसाम् । तस्य क्षोणिभृतः क्षोण्यां जनाः सर्वे कलालयाः

Transliteration

kalāvāneka evāsti tridivepi divaukasām | tasya kṣoṇibhṛtaḥ kṣoṇyāṃ janāḥ sarve kalālayāḥ

Translation

ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນສະຫວັນສາມຊັ້ນ ໃນຫມູ່ເທວະດາກໍມີພຽງຜູ້ດຽວທີ່ມີຄຸນຄ່າແຫ່ງສິລະປະຢ່າງແທ້; ແຕ່ໃນແຜ່ນດິນ ພາຍໃຕ້ພະຣາຊາຜູ້ແບກພາລະແຫ່ງປະຖະພີ ປວງຊົນທັງປວງກາຍເປັນທີ່ສະຖິດແຫ່ງຄວາມສໍາເລັດແລະສິດທິ।

Word by Word

• कलावान्: endowed with arts/skills
• कलावान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (possessing arts/skills)

• एकः: one (single)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

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

• त्रिदिवे: in heaven
• त्रिदिवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the dwellers of heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षोणिभृतः: kings/earth-bearers
• क्षोणिभृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोणि + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षोणिं बिभ्रति इति)

• क्षोण्याम्: on earth
• क्षोण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कलालयाः: abodes of arts; repositories of skills
• कलालयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कला + आलय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कलानाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panegyric tableau: Kāśī as a radiant city on the Gaṅgā, with a dharmic king/guardian bearing the ‘burden of the land’ while citizens shine as accomplished, auspicious figures; above, a subdued svarga contrasts with Kāśī’s splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Tridiva (Svarga)
• Divodāsa (implied king of Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s dharmic order is portrayed as so elevating that ordinary people can embody excellence, surpassing even celestial exclusivity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is implied as the sanctified realm where righteous governance and sacred atmosphere uplift society.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the merit (puṇya) of dharmic life and rule within Kāśī.