Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

नाद्यापि काशीं संत्यज्य तदारभ्य महामुने । योगिन्योन्यत्र तिष्ठंति चरंत्योपि जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

nādyāpi kāśīṃ saṃtyajya tadārabhya mahāmune | yoginyonyatra tiṣṭhaṃti caraṃtyopi jagattrayam

Translation

മഹാമുനേ! ആ കാലം മുതൽ ഇന്നുവരെയും യോഗിനികൾ കാശിയെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നില്ല; അവർ ത്രിലോകം മുഴുവൻ സഞ്ചരിച്ചാലും മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ ക്ഷണമാത്രം മാത്രമേ താമസിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘even/also’

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• तद्: that
• तद्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Apadana/Avadhi (Starting point/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √रभ् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: उपपद-क्त्वान्त अव्यय ‘starting from’ (gerund used adverbially)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• योगिन्यः: yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तिष्ठन्ति: they stay
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• चरन्ति: they wander
• चरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘also/even’

• जगत्त्रयम्: the three worlds
• जगत्त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘त्रयाणि जगन्ति’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni (great sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night over Kāśī: yoginīs—radiant, awe-inspiring śakti-forms—rise and traverse the three worlds, yet their subtle cords of light remain anchored to Kāśī’s ghāṭs and temples; a sage listens as the narrator affirms their unwavering attachment.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Kāśī
• Yoginīs
• Jagat-traya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is affirmed as a perpetual spiritual center—so potent that even world-roaming beings remain anchored to it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as an enduring abode for powerful divine beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal assertion of Kāśī’s abiding greatness.