Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वाराणसीति विख्याता तदारभ्य महामुने । असेश्च वरणायाश्च संगमं प्राप्य काशिका

Transliteration

vārāṇasīti vikhyātā tadārabhya mahāmune | aseśca varaṇāyāśca saṃgamaṃ prāpya kāśikā

Translation

ഹേ മഹാമുനേ! അന്നുമുതൽ കാശികാ അസി-വരണാ സംഗമത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ച് ‘വാരാണസി’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധയായി।

Word by Word

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Iti-marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• विख्याता: renowned, well-known
• विख्याता: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘renowned/known’

• तद्: from that
• तद्: Kāla-sambandha (कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम्; ‘तद्’ + ‘आरभ्य’ इति (from that time)

• आरभ्य: starting from, from (that time)
• आरभ्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘starting from’ (अव्ययीभावार्थ)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

• असेः: of (the river) Asi
• असेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• वरणायाः: of (the river) Varaṇā
• वरणायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• संगमम्: confluence, meeting-place
• संगमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having reached/attained’

• काशिका: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Asi–Varaṇā sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred vista: Kāśī city resting between two flowing streams labeled Asi and Varaṇā, meeting the Gaṅgā; sages point as the name ‘Vārāṇasī’ is proclaimed.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Asi
• Varaṇā
• Mahāmune (Agastya - implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The very name ‘Vārāṇasī’ is grounded in sacred geography—Kāśī’s identity is tied to the confluence of its protecting rivers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, particularly the saṅgama (confluence) of Asi and Varaṇā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse provides etymological-sacred context for the kṣetra’s name and locus.