Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कर्पूरैण मदामोद सोदरानिलवीजितम् । क्रीडामर्कटदंष्ट्राग्री कृतमाणिक्यदाडिमम्

Transliteration

karpūraiṇa madāmoda sodarānilavījitam | krīḍāmarkaṭadaṃṣṭrāgrī kṛtamāṇikyadāḍimam

Translation

കർപ്പൂരവും മധുമദസൗരഭവും നിറഞ്ഞ മൃദുവായ കാറ്റുകൾ ആ സ്ഥലത്തെ വീശിപ്പരിപാലിച്ചു. ദാളിംബഫലങ്ങൾ കളിക്കുന്ന കുരങ്ങുകളുടെ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ദന്താഗ്രങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ട് മാണിക്യമായി തീർത്തതുപോലെ തോന്നി.

Word by Word

• कर्पूरेण: with camphor
• कर्पूरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• मद-आमोद: intoxicating fragrance
• मद-आमोद: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + आमोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासान्त-प्रातिपदिक); अत्र विशेषणार्थे (fragrance)

• स-उदर: kindred/akin
• स-उदर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘समानोदर/सह-उदर’ भावः

• अनिल-वीजितम्: fanned by the breeze
• अनिल-वीजितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक) + √वीज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘वीजित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘अनिलेन वीजितम्’

• क्रीडा-मर्कट-दंष्ट्रा-अग्री: with tips like a playful monkey’s teeth
• क्रीडा-मर्कट-दंष्ट्रा-अग्री: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्कट (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रि/अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (समासान्त); ‘क्रीडायां मर्कटदंष्ट्राग्रि-’ इत्यर्थे, विशेषणवत्

• कृत-माणिक्य-दाडिमम्: a pomegranate made of rubies
• कृत-माणिक्य-दाडिमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त, कृदन्त) + माणिक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दाडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘माणिक्यैः कृतं दाडिमम्’

Speaker

Narrative voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deductively: Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Perfumed breezes waft through a garden; pomegranates glow like rubies, their surfaces marked as if nibbled by playful monkeys, creating jewel-like openings amid foliage.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• karpūra (camphor)
• dāḍima (pomegranate)
• māṇikya (ruby)
• markaṭa (monkey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purity and auspiciousness of Kāśī are expressed through sensory abundance—fragrance, breeze, and jewel-like fruit—suggesting divine presence in the land itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra in general, especially its pleasure-groves and sacred surroundings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive praise (māhātmya) rather than instruction.