Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

कोकिलः कोमलालापैः कलयन्किलकाकलीम् । कलिकालौ कलयतः काशीस्थान्नेतिभाषते

Transliteration

kokilaḥ komalālāpaiḥ kalayankilakākalīm | kalikālau kalayataḥ kāśīsthānnetibhāṣate

Translation

കുയിൽ কোমല ആലാപങ്ങളാൽ തന്റെ കാകലി തീർക്കുന്നു; കലിയുഗത്തിന്റെ കഠിനത മാത്രം കണക്കാക്കുന്നവരോട് ‘കാശിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് അങ്ങനെ അല്ല’ എന്നു പറയുന്നതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• कोकिलः: the cuckoo/koel
• कोकिलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोकिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कोमलालापैः: with soft utterances
• कोमलालापैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोमल + आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कोमलाः आलापाः)

• कलयन्: producing/uttering
• कलयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्/कलय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—उच्चारयन्/निर्माणयन्

• किल: indeed
• किल: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• काकलीम्: cawing/harsh sound
• काकलीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कलिकालौ: Kali and Time (the two)
• कलिकालौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कलिः च कालः/कलिकालः)

• कलयतः: (they two) count/consider/produce
• कलयतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्/कलय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• काशीस्थान्: those dwelling in Kāśī
• काशीस्थान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (काश्याम् स्थाः)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• भाषते: speaks/says
• भाषते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; poetic praise of Kāśī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cuckoo sings sweetly as if delivering a message: those who lament Kali’s bitterness are consoled—Kāśī-dwellers are not bound by that harshness; the city’s sacred aura is implied.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga’s decline, Kāśī remains a special refuge where spiritual benefit and auspiciousness are not diminished.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī itself—celebrated as Avimukta, a timeless sanctuary even in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse implies the merit of residing in or taking shelter in Kāśī.