Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

रम्या पुरी भवेदेषा ब्रह्मांडादखिलादपि । परिष्टुत्येति दुर्वासाश्चेतोवृत्तिमवाप ह

Transliteration

ramyā purī bhavedeṣā brahmāṃḍādakhilādapi | pariṣṭutyeti durvāsāścetovṛttimavāpa ha

Translation

ഈ പുരി സമസ്ത ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡത്തേക്കാളും അത്യന്തം രമണീയമാണ്—ഇങ്ങനെ സ്തുതിച്ച ശേഷം മുനി ദുര്വാസാവ് ചിത്തവൃത്തിയിൽ പുതുമാറ്റം പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• रम्या: beautiful, delightful
• रम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. sg.)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg. opt.)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (fem. nom. sg.)

• ब्रह्माण्डात्: from the universe/egg of Brahmā
• ब्रह्माण्डात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन (neut. abl. sg.)

• अखिलात्: from the entire (whole)
• अखिलात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neut. abl. sg.)

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

• परिष्टुत्य: having praised
• परिष्टुत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्तु (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having praised’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā (sage)
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• चेतोवृत्तिम्: mental disposition/state of mind
• चेतोवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चेतसः वृत्तिः) (fem. acc. sg.)

• अवाप: attained, obtained
• अवाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg. perf.)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), कथन-प्रत्यय (indeed)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā stands within luminous Kāśī, palms joined in praise; the cityscape glows with ghāṭas, temples, and a subtle aura suggesting a shift in his mind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Durvāsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere praise of Kāśī’s sanctity refines the mind and turns it toward liberation-oriented awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as uniquely delightful and spiritually supreme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights stuti (praise) as a devotional act that transforms consciousness.