Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तटेतटेपटुवटैरुच्चैःपटकुटी वृतम् । कुटजस्तबकैर्भांतमधिष्ठितबकैरिव

Transliteration

taṭetaṭepaṭuvaṭairuccaiḥpaṭakuṭī vṛtam | kuṭajastabakairbhāṃtamadhiṣṭhitabakairiva

Translation

ഓരോ തീരത്തും ഉയർന്നും ദൃഢവുമായ വടവൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ അതിനെ വളഞ്ഞുനിന്നു; തീരം തന്നെ ഇലക്കുടിലുകളുടെ മാല ധരിച്ചതുപോലെ തോന്നി. കുടജപുഷ്പഗുച്ചങ്ങളാൽ അത്, ബകങ്ങൾ ഇരിക്കുന്ന ശ്വേതാശ്രയസ്ഥലംപോലെ ദീപ്തമായി പ്രകാശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• तटे: on (each) bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (taṭe-taṭe = on every bank)

• पटु-वटैः: by/with strong banyan trees
• पटु-वटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटु (प्रातिपदिक) + वट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• उच्चैः: highly, aloft
• उच्चैः: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पटकुटी: a thatched hut
• पटकुटी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटकुटी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म/कर्ता-सम्बन्धः सन्दर्भानुसार

• वृतम्: covered, surrounded
• वृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (covered/surrounded)

• कुटज-स्तबकैः: with clusters of kutaja blossoms
• कुटज-स्तबकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटज (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तबक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण

• भान्तम्: shining
• भान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भा (धातु) + शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (shining)

• अधिष्ठित-बकैः: by herons perched (there)
• अधिष्ठित-बकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण; ‘अधिष्ठित’ = occupied/perched

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī–Gaṅgā-taṭa (general ghāṭa-maṇḍala)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (standard audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A continuous Ganga shoreline ringed by tall, sturdy banyans; leafy hut-like canopies; clusters of white kuṭaja blossoms; white herons perched, making the bank gleam like a garlanded pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Kuṭaja
• Vaṭa (banyan)
• Taṭa (riverbank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as naturally sanctified—its landscape itself becomes a sign of holiness, inviting reverence through beauty and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially its riverbank environment associated with pilgrimage and sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as māhātmya-style glorification through sacred topography.