Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

असमाप्तक्रतुशता वसंत्यत्र महीभुजः । ज्योतिष्टोमादिभिर्यागैर्ये यजंत्यपि ते द्विजाः

Transliteration

asamāptakratuśatā vasaṃtyatra mahībhujaḥ | jyotiṣṭomādibhiryāgairye yajaṃtyapi te dvijāḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ നൂറുക്രതുക്കൾ ഇനിയും അപൂർണ്ണമായിരിക്കുന്ന രാജാക്കന്മാർ വസിക്കുന്നു; ജ്യോതിഷ്ടോമാദി യാഗങ്ങളാൽ യജിക്കുന്ന ദ്വിജന്മാരും ഇവിടെ തന്നെ പാർക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• asamāpta-kratu-śatāḥ: having (their) hundred sacrifices unfinished
• asamāpta-kratu-śatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-samāpta (उपसर्ग+कृदन्त/विशेषण) + kratu (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—"असमाप्ताः क्रतवः शतं येषां ते" (those whose hundred sacrifices are unfinished)

• vasanti: live, dwell
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: here)

• mahī-bhujaḥ: kings, rulers
• mahī-bhujaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—"महीम् भुनक्ति/भुजते इति" (earth-protectors)

• jyotiṣṭoma-ādibhiḥ: with (rites) such as Jyotiṣṭoma
• jyotiṣṭoma-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotiṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—"ज्योतिष्टोमः आदिः येषां तैः" (with Jyotiṣṭoma etc.)

• yāgaiḥ: by sacrifices, offerings
• yāgaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• yajanti: sacrifice, perform worship
• yajanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• te: those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative: those)

• dvijāḥ: Brahmins, twice-born
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra) as the encompassing field; verse depicts Mahendranagarī as a loka/quarter within the praise

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial quarter where crowned rulers and white-robed brāhmaṇas perform Jyotiṣṭoma-like rites; fire-altars glow, ladles and soma vessels gleam; the city appears as a mandala of yajña-fires.

Characters & Entities

• Mahībhuj (kings)
• Dvijas
• Jyotiṣṭoma
• Yāga (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is portrayed as a gathering-point for sustained dharmic effort—royal and priestly—centered on yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

“Here” refers to the Mahendra/Amarāvatī-like sacred city being described within Kāśīkhaṇḍa Adhyāya 10.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vedic sacrifices such as Jyotiṣṭoma (and related yāgas) is referenced.