Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

प्रयागादपि वै रम्यमविमुक्तं न संशयः । यत्र विश्वेश्वरः साक्षात्स्वयं समधितिष्ठति

Transliteration

prayāgādapi vai ramyamavimuktaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | yatra viśveśvaraḥ sākṣātsvayaṃ samadhitiṣṭhati

Translation

പ്രയാഗത്തേക്കാളും കൂടുതൽ രമണീയമാണ് അവിമുക്തം—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല—കാരണം അവിടെ സാക്ഷാൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരൻ സ്വയം അധിഷ്ഠിതനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्रयागात्: than/from Prayāga
• प्रयागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (even/also)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपातः

• रम्यम्: more delightful
• रम्यम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘अविमुक्तम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; स्थाननाम

• न: no/not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक अव्ययम् (relative adverb: where)

• विश्व-ईश्वरः: the Lord of the universe
• विश्व-ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: विश्वस्य ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• साक्षात्: directly; in person
• साक्षात्: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: directly/in person)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Emphasis/Reflexive (स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: आत्मार्थक-निपातः (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• समधितिष्ठति: abides; presides
• समधितिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: उपसर्गाः—सम् + अधि; लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Avimukta as a radiant sacred precinct: Viśveśvara enthroned or subtly present above the city; pilgrims circumambulate lanes and ghāṭs; Prayāga is shown in a smaller vignette to indicate comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Avimukta
• Viśveśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A place becomes supremely holy by the direct, abiding presence of the Lord—here, Śiva as Viśveśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta (the Kāśī-kṣetra), said to surpass even Prayāga in excellence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a theological glorification grounded in Śiva’s presence.