Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

कलाः पुंस्को किलालापाः सुचैलानि शुचीनि च । भूषणान्यतिरम्याणि गंधाद्यमनुलेपनम्

Transliteration

kalāḥ puṃsko kilālāpāḥ sucailāni śucīni ca | bhūṣaṇānyatiramyāṇi gaṃdhādyamanulepanam

Translation

അവിടെ കലകളും മധുരസംഭാഷണങ്ങളും ഉണ്ട്; ഉത്തമവും ശുദ്ധവും ദീപ്തവുമായ വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്; അത്യന്തം മനോഹരമായ ആഭരണങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്; സുഗന്ധമുള്ള അനുലേപനാദികളും ഉണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• कलाः: arts, skills
• कलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुंसः: of a man
• पुंसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/it is said)

• आलापाः: conversations, speech
• आलापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुचैलानि: fine garments
• सुचैलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + चैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सुन्दराणि चैलानि)

• शुचीनि: pure, clean
• शुचीनि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (चैलानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• भूषणानि: ornaments
• भूषणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अतिरम्याणि: exceedingly beautiful
• अतिरम्याणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/पूर्वपद) + रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (भूषणानि)

• गन्धादि: fragrance and the like
• गन्धादि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गन्धः आदिः यस्य तत्)

• अनुलेपनम्: anointing, unguent
• अनुलेपनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु + लिप् (धातु) + ल्युट् (प्रत्यय) → अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव/कर्मवाचक)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A refined subterranean salon: musicians and poets, elegant garments displayed, jewel boxes open, attendants applying fragrant sandal/agaru unguents; the atmosphere is luxurious yet slightly unreal.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly refinements—art, beauty, luxury—can be abundant in cosmic realms, but the Kāśī-khaṇḍa ultimately elevates śreyas (spiritual good) over bhoga (enjoyment).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tīrtha in this verse; it supports the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s broader glorification of sacred merit associated with Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.