Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अपि काश्यां वसेद्यस्तु सर्वाशी सर्वविक्रयी । स यां गतिं लभेन्मर्त्यो यज्ञैर्दानैर्न सान्यतः

Transliteration

api kāśyāṃ vasedyastu sarvāśī sarvavikrayī | sa yāṃ gatiṃ labhenmartyo yajñairdānairna sānyataḥ

Translation

കാശിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ എല്ലാം തിന്നുകയും എല്ലാം വിൽക്കുകയും ചെയ്താലും—അവൻ പ്രാപിക്കുന്ന ഗതി മറ്റെവിടെയും യജ്ഞദാനങ്ങളാൽ പോലും ലഭ്യമല്ല.

Word by Word

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वसेत्: should live/dwell
• वसेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्वाशी: eating everything
• सर्वाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (sarvam aśnāti iti)

• सर्वविक्रयी: selling everything
• सर्वविक्रयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (sarvaṃ vikrīṇāti iti)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याम्: which
• याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative)

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दानैः: by gifts/charity
• दानैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सा: that (goal)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्यतः: from elsewhere/otherwise
• अन्यतः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/दिशावाचक (ablatival adverb: from elsewhere/otherwise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (residential merit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A morally ordinary (even flawed) householder in Kāśī—market scenes of trade—yet bathed in the city’s sanctifying aura; in the background, yajña fires and dāna scenes appear smaller, indicating their lesser efficacy compared to Kāśī’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Gati (spiritual destiny)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is so great that mere residence there yields a spiritual attainment beyond what ordinary rites can secure elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a residence-place (vāsa-kṣetra) granting exceptional spiritual destiny.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it contrasts Kāśī-vāsa with yajña and dāna, asserting Kāśī’s superior fruit.