Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

स्थैर्यं बबंध न क्वापि भ्रमतो मे मनोगतिः । सर्वस्मिन्नपि भूभागे यथा स्थैर्यमगादिह

Transliteration

sthairyaṃ babaṃdha na kvāpi bhramato me manogatiḥ | sarvasminnapi bhūbhāge yathā sthairyamagādiha

Translation

അലയുമ്പോൾ എന്റെ മനോഗതിക്ക് എവിടെയും സ്ഥിരത ലഭിച്ചില്ല; എന്നാൽ ഇവിടെ (കാശിയിൽ) ഭൂമിയിലെ മറ്റേതൊരു പ്രദേശത്തും ലഭിക്കാത്ത സ്ഥിര്യം അതിന് ലഭിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• sthairyam: steadiness
• sthairyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• babandha: bound; fixed
• babandha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bandh (बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• kva: anywhere
• kva: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'anywhere/where?')

• api: at all
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: particle (even/at all)

• bhramataḥ: of (me) wandering
• bhramataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhram (भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; 'of me who am wandering'

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• manaḥ-gatiḥ: movement of the mind
• manaḥ-gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• sarvasmin: in every
• sarvasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: particle (even)

• bhū-bhāge: in (any) region of the earth
• bhū-bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative: 'as')

• sthairyam: steadiness
• sthairyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियापदस्य कर्मरूपेण (as object of 'agāt')

• agāt: came; was attained
• agāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (deictic adverb: 'here')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary pilgrim/ascetic seated on a Kāśī ghāṭ at sunrise, Ganga flowing steadily; the mind’s former restlessness shown as faint swirling motifs dissolving into calm; Viśveśvara temple silhouette in the background anchoring the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• mind (manas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a place where the mind naturally becomes steady—supporting dhyāna, vairāgya, and readiness for mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), implicitly as a uniquely peace-giving sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse implies contemplative practice (inner steadiness/meditation) is especially fruitful in Kāśī.