Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कैलासस्यैकशकलं कर्मभूमाविहागतम् । तपस्तप्तुमिव प्रोच्चैर्नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

kailāsasyaikaśakalaṃ karmabhūmāvihāgatam | tapastaptumiva proccairnānāścaryasamanvitam

Translation

അത് കൈലാസത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഖണ്ഡം തന്നെ ഈ കർമ്മഭൂമിയിലേക്കു ഇറങ്ങി വന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി. ഉയർന്ന് നിലകൊണ്ട്, നാനാവിധ അത്ഭുതങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതമായി, തപസ്സിനായി തന്നെയെന്നപോലെ ദൃശ്യമായി.

Word by Word

• कैलासस्य: of Kailāsa
• कैलासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• एक: one
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• शकलम्: a single fragment/portion
• शकलम्: Karma/Viśeṣya (Object/head-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं शकलम्)

• कर्म: of action (ritual duty)
• कर्म: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• भूमौ: in the land of action (karmabhūmi)
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मभूमि = कर्मणः भूमिः)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• आगतम्: come, arrived
• आगतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• तप्तुम्: to perform (austerity)
• तप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); ‘to perform/heat’

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक

• प्रोच्चैः: very high, aloft
• प्रोच्चैः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (समासाङ्ग)

• आश्चर्य: wonders, marvels
• आश्चर्य: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-बहुवचन (instrumental plural sense in compound as ‘with wonders’) (समासाङ्ग)

• समन्वितम्: endowed with various marvels
• समन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (नानाश्चर्यैः समन्वितम्)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lohita-giri (Kailāsa-kalā imagery)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A towering mountain in the human world, yet shimmering with otherworldly marvels—like a piece of Kailāsa transplanted: luminous cliffs, sacred caves, siddha-like presences, and an aura of high tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Skandavana region (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly sanctified place mirrors divine realms like Kailāsa and becomes a natural ground for tapas and inner elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mountain-landscape near Skandavana, likened to a fragment of Kailāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is implied as the fitting spiritual practice for such a place.