Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

प्राप्य काशीं सुदुर्मेधाः कस्त्यजेज्ज्ञानवान्यदि । अनर्घ्यं प्राप्य माणिक्यं हित्वा काचं क ईहते

Transliteration

prāpya kāśīṃ sudurmedhāḥ kastyajejjñānavānyadi | anarghyaṃ prāpya māṇikyaṃ hitvā kācaṃ ka īhate

Translation

കാശി പ്രാപിച്ച ശേഷം, സത്യത്തിൽ ജ്ഞാനിയെങ്കിൽ അതിനെ ആരാണ് ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുക? അമൂല്യ മാണിക്യം ലഭിച്ചിട്ട് ഗ്ലാസ് ആരാണ് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുക?

Word by Word

• प्राप्य: having reached/obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshana (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; अर्थः—‘प्राप्य’ = having obtained/reached

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

• सुदुर्मेधाः: a very dull-witted person
• सुदुर्मेधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + दुर्मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सु + दुर्मेधाः (उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषणसमासः/कर्मधारयः)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• त्यजेत्: would abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ज्ञानवान्: a wise man
• ज्ञानवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्यय (possessive: possessing knowledge)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional: if)

• अनर्घ्यम्: priceless
• अनर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to माणिक्यम्)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshana (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय

• माणिक्यम्: a ruby/gem
• माणिक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माणिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हित्वा: having left; abandoning
• हित्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; अर्थः—having abandoned

• काचम्: glass
• काचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ईहते: desires; strives for
• ईहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrative voice within the chapter (contextually Viṣṇu’s discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agnibindu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic image: Kāśī symbolized as a radiant ruby (māṇikya) while worldly allure is shown as dull glass; a pilgrim-sage chooses the ruby-city over the glass of distraction.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment recognizes Kāśī as a supreme spiritual treasure; abandoning it is likened to choosing glass over a priceless jewel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as incomparable in value for spiritual attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches discernment (viveka) and steadfast commitment to the sacred place.