Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वरं काशीसमावासी नासीनो द्युसदां पदम् । दुःखांतं लभते पूर्वः सुखांतं लभते परः

Transliteration

varaṃ kāśīsamāvāsī nāsīno dyusadāṃ padam | duḥkhāṃtaṃ labhate pūrvaḥ sukhāṃtaṃ labhate paraḥ

Translation

ദേവസ്ഥാനത്ത് ഇരിക്കുന്നവനേക്കാൾ കാശീവാസി ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ. ആദ്യൻ ദുഃഖത്തിന്റെ അന്ത്യം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; രണ്ടാമൻ സുഖത്തിന്റെ അന്ത്യം മാത്രമേ പ്രാപിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• वरम्: better (it is)
• वरम्: Sambandha (predicate)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (predicative indeclinable: 'better')

• काशी-समावासी: one dwelling in Kāśī
• काशी-समावासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + समावासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘काश्यां समावासी’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• आसीनः: sitting/occupying
• आसीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (kāśīsamāvāsī)

• द्युसदाम्: of the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• द्युसदाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पदम्: status/position
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दुःख-अन्तम्: end of suffering
• दुःख-अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दुःखस्य अन्तः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभते: attains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पूर्वः: the former (person)
• पूर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-प्रयोग (the former)

• सुख-अन्तम्: end of happiness
• सुख-अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘सुखस्य अन्तः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभते: attains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परः: the latter (person)
• परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-प्रयोग (the latter/other)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two panels: on one side a radiant deva seated in Svarga amid fleeting pleasures that fade like mist; on the other, a simple Kāśī resident near Viśveśvara and Gaṅgā, with a steady light symbolizing the end of suffering; the Kāśī side is calmer and more enduring.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devas (dyu-sad)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Svarga is temporary, but Kāśī is aligned with liberation; it ends suffering rather than offering pleasure that eventually exhausts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as superior even to heavenly realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the implied prescription is residence/abiding in Kāśī as a life-orientation.