Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अनेकरत्ननिचयैः खचिताऽखिलभूमिकाम् । नानाप्रासादमाणिक्यज्योतिस्ततततांबराम्

Transliteration

anekaratnanicayaiḥ khacitā'khilabhūmikām | nānāprāsādamāṇikyajyotistatatatāṃbarām

Translation

അവൻ കണ്ടു—സകല ഭൂമിയും അനേകം രത്നസഞ്ചയങ്ങളാൽ പതിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; അനവധി പ്രാസാദങ്ങളിലെ മാണിക്യജ്യോതി ആകാശമൊട്ടാകെ നിറക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनेकरत्ननिचयैः: with heaps of many jewels
• अनेकरत्ननिचयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक-रत्न-निचय (प्रातिपदिक; अनेक + रत्न + निचय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अनेकानि रत्नानि येषां निचयाः)

• खचिता: inlaid, studded
• खचिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अखिलभूमिकाम्)

• अखिलभूमिकाम्: the entire ground/floor (area)
• अखिलभूमिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल-भूमिका (प्रातिपदिक; अखिल + भूमिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (अखिला एव भूमिका)

• नानाप्रासादमाणिक्यज्योतिः: the radiance of rubies in various palaces
• नानाप्रासादमाणिक्यज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-प्रासाद-माणिक्य-ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + प्रासाद + माणिक्य + ज्योतिस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नानाप्रासादेषु माणिक्यानां ज्योतिः)

• ततत: spread, extended
• ततत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (from तन्/तत् ‘to stretch’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अम्बराम्)

• तत: fully spread
• तत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (intensification)

• अम्बराम्: the sky/expanse
• अम्बराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अर्थः—दिक्/आकाश-रूपा (here: sky/expanse)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view: ground studded with heaps of gems; above, the sky tinted by ruby-like radiance emanating from innumerable palace-tops—Kāśī as a jewel-city.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as transcending ordinary materiality—its ‘wealth’ symbolizes spiritual radiance and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), envisioned as a luminous, celestial-like sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a vision-description meant to intensify reverence for the kṣetra.