Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

अहं जिगमिषुस्त्वासं पुरीं वाराणसीं शुभाम् । साक्षाद्विश्वेश्वरो यत्र तिष्ठते मोक्षकारणम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ jigamiṣustvāsaṃ purīṃ vārāṇasīṃ śubhām | sākṣādviśveśvaro yatra tiṣṭhate mokṣakāraṇam

Translation

ഞാൻ ആ ശുഭമായ വാരാണസി നഗരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു; അവിടെ സാക്ഷാൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരൻ സ്വയം വസിക്കുന്നു—മോക്ഷകാരണമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जिगमिषुः: desiring to go
• जिगमिषुः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier of अहम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + इषु (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: इषु-प्रत्ययान्त इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to wish to go’

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आसम्: I was
• आसम्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरीम्: to the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; पुरीम्-विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरीम्/वाराणसीम्)

• साक्षात्: directly / in person
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विश्वेश्वरः: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विश्वस्य ईश्वरः

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धसूचक (relative adverb: where)

• तिष्ठते: abides
• तिष्ठते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मोक्षकारणम्: the cause of liberation
• मोक्षकारणम्: Vidheyasaṃjñā (Predicate nominative/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मोक्षस्य कारणम्; विश्वेश्वरः इत्यस्य विधेय/अप्पोज़िशन

Speaker

Bhagavān (continuing the Dhruva dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhruva (immediate narrative addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-figure expresses longing to journey to Kāśī; the city appears radiant with temple spires, ghāṭs, and the central Viśveśvara shrine glowing as ‘mokṣa-kāraṇa’.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Viśveśvara
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a direct gateway to liberation because Viśveśvara (Śiva) is uniquely present there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, especially the presence of Viśveśvara (Kāśī Viśvanātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage intention (gamanā/visit) to Kāśī as a dharmic pursuit oriented toward mokṣa.