Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्पुरेभिषिच्याथ विसृज्येंद्रादिकान्सुरान् । अलंचकार स्वं लोकं विष्णुनाऽनुमतो द्विज

Transliteration

asminpurebhiṣicyātha visṛjyeṃdrādikānsurān | alaṃcakāra svaṃ lokaṃ viṣṇunā'numato dvija

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജാ! ഈ നഗരത്തിൽ അഭിഷേകം ലഭിച്ച ശേഷം അദ്ദേഹം ഇന്ദ്രാദി ദേവന്മാരെ വിടയാക്കി; വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ അനുമതിയോടെ തന്റെ ലോകത്തെ അലങ്കരിച്ചു ക്രമപ്പെടുത്തി.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैकल्पिकरूपेण ‘पुरि’); ‘in the city’

• अभिषिच्य: having anointed
• अभिषिच्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त/अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then)

• विसृज्य: having dismissed/sent away
• विसृज्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त/अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• इन्द्रादिकान्: Indra and others
• इन्द्रादिकान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इन्द्रः आदिः येषां ते (इन्द्रादयः) इति बहुवचनार्थे; ‘-क’ प्रत्ययेन ‘belonging to the group’

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अलञ्चकार: adorned/prepared
• अलञ्चकार: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलम्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do), उपसर्ग/उपपद ‘अलम्’ (to adorn/prepare)

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आत्मीयवाचक (one’s own)

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Agentive cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुमतः: approved/permitted
• अनुमतः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-√मन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अनुज्ञातः’

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, addressing Agastya as dvija)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as abhiṣeka-kṣetra in this episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor (explicitly addressed: ‘dvija’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati is ceremonially anointed in Kāśī—water poured from a kalaśa—while Indra and other devas stand respectfully. Viṣṇu gestures approval. Afterward, Bṛhaspati departs toward a luminous celestial realm, arranging it like a well-ordered city of learning.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by 'asmin pure')
• Indra
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a place of empowerment and spiritual legitimacy, where divine approval supports righteous order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly glorifies Kāśī (“this city”) as the setting of consecration and divine sanction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhiṣeka/abhiṣeka (consecratory anointing) is implied by “bhiṣicya” in the city.