Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नार्यावर्तसुमो देशो न काशी सदृशी पुरी । न विश्वेश समं लिंगं क्वापि बह्मांडमंडले

Transliteration

nāryāvartasumo deśo na kāśī sadṛśī purī | na viśveśa samaṃ liṃgaṃ kvāpi bahmāṃḍamaṃḍale

Translation

ആര്യാവർത്തത്തേക്കാൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ ദേശമില്ല, കാശിയോടു സമമായ പുരിയില്ല; സമസ്ത ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡമണ്ഡലത്തിൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരസമമായ ലിംഗം എങ്ങും ഇല്ല।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• आर्यावर्त-सुमः: excellent like Āryāvarta / best in Āryāvarta
• आर्यावर्त-सुमः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्यावर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + सुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देशस्य)

• देशः: country/region
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• काशी: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सदृशी: similar/equal
• सदृशी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरी)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विश्वेश: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेश: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (name)

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ब्रह्माण्ड-मण्डले: in the cosmic sphere (of the universe)
• ब्रह्माण्ड-मण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) — Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Āryāvarta leading to the luminous city of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā, culminating in the Viśveśvara liṅga radiating as the cosmic center; devotees in reverent stuti posture.

Characters & Entities

• Āryāvarta
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśvara (Viśveśa)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is proclaimed uniquely supreme as a liberating city, and Viśveśvara is affirmed as the unparalleled cosmic Lord in liṅga-form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) liṅga of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse functions as mahātmya—motivating darśana and worship of Viśveśvara in Kāśī.