Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

दृशौ कृतार्थे कृतकाशिदर्शने तनुःकृतार्था शिवकाशिवासिनी । मनःकृतार्थं धृतकाशिसंश्रयं मुखं कृतार्थं कृतकाशिसंमुखम्

Transliteration

dṛśau kṛtārthe kṛtakāśidarśane tanuḥkṛtārthā śivakāśivāsinī | manaḥkṛtārthaṃ dhṛtakāśisaṃśrayaṃ mukhaṃ kṛtārthaṃ kṛtakāśisaṃmukham

Translation

കാശീദർശനത്താൽ കണ്ണുകൾ കൃതാർത്ഥമാകുന്നു; ശിവന്റെ കാശിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നതാൽ ദേഹം കൃതാർത്ഥമാകുന്നു. കാശിയെ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചാൽ മനസ്സ് കൃതാർത്ഥമാകുന്നു; കാശിയിലേക്കു മുഖം തിരിച്ചതാൽ മുഖവും കൃതാർത്ഥമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दृशौ: the two eyes
• दृशौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक: नेत्र)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन

• कृतार्थे: fulfilled
• कृतार्थे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with दृशौ)

• कृतकाशिदर्शने: having seen Kāśī
• कृतकाशिदर्शने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त) + काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—काशी-दर्शनं कृतं याभ्याम् (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष)

• तनुः: the body
• तनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कृतार्था: fulfilled
• कृतार्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with तनुः)

• शिवकाशिवासिनी: dwelling in Śiva’s Kāśī
• शिवकाशिवासिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य काश्यां वासिनी (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र समासपूर्वपद (mind)

• कृतार्थम्: fulfilled
• कृतार्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मनः)

• धृतकाशिसंश्रयम्: having taken refuge in Kāśī
• धृतकाशिसंश्रयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत (धृ-धातु, क्त) + काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + संश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—काशी-संश्रयं धृतं येन (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष)

• मुखम्: face/mouth
• मुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कृतार्थम्: fulfilled
• कृतार्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मुखम्)

• कृतकाशिसंमुखम्: turned toward Kāśī
• कृतकाशिसंमुखम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त) + काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + संमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—काश्याः संमुखं कृतं/काशीं संमुखीकृतं यत्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Śiva-Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of four ‘fulfilled’ aspects: eyes gazing at Kāśī’s shrine, the body residing near ghāṭas, the mind depicted as a lotus taking refuge in Kāśī, and the face turned toward the sacred city as a life-compass.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual fulfilment is framed holistically—senses, body, mind—through darśana, residence, and inner refuge in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, explicitly called Śiva’s own abode (Śiva-Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practices: Kāśī-darśana (seeing), Kāśī-vāsa (dwelling), and Kāśī-saṃśraya (taking inner refuge).