Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विलोक्याक्रीडमखिलं बहुप्रासादमंडितम् । बहुकुंडतडागं च शंभोस्तोषमुपागमत् । पदेपदे मुनीनां च जितकाल महाभियाम् । दृष्टोटजानि रम्याणि दुर्वासा विस्मितोभवत्

Transliteration

vilokyākrīḍamakhilaṃ bahuprāsādamaṃḍitam | bahukuṃḍataḍāgaṃ ca śaṃbhostoṣamupāgamat | padepade munīnāṃ ca jitakāla mahābhiyām | dṛṣṭoṭajāni ramyāṇi durvāsā vismitobhavat

Translation

സകല ക്രീഡാവനവും ദർശിച്ച്—അത് അനേകം പ്രാസാദങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതവും അനവധി കുണ്ഡ-തടാകങ്ങളാൽ സമ്പന്നവുമായതിനാൽ—ദുർവാസാവിന് ശംഭുവിനോടു പരമ തോഷം ഉണർന്നു। കൂടാതെ ഓരോ പടിയിലും കാലത്തെ ജയിച്ച മഹാഭാഗ മുനിമാരുടെ മനോഹര ആശ്രമകുടീരങ്ങൾ കണ്ടു അദ്ദേഹം വിസ്മയിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), वि-उपसर्ग (having seen/observed)

• आक्रीडम्: the pleasure-garden/park
• आक्रीडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्रीड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (agreeing with आक्रीडम्)

• बहु-प्रासाद-मण्डितम्: adorned with many palaces
• बहु-प्रासाद-मण्डितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहुभिः प्रासादैः मण्डितम्)

• बहु-कुण्ड-तडागम्: with many ponds and tanks
• बहु-कुण्ड-तडागम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (कुण्ड-तडाग) + बहु-पूर्वपद (many)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• शंभोः: of Śambhu
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तोषम्: satisfaction, delight
• तोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपागमत्: attained, reached
• उपागमत्: Kriya (Main predicate/मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उप-उपसर्ग (he attained/reached)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• जित-काल: time-conquering
• जित-काल: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ओटजानि); तत्पुरुष (कालं जितम् = time-conquering)

• महाभियाम्: of great power/majesty
• महाभियाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + या (धातु) → अभिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ओटजानि); कर्मधारय (महती अभियाः/गमन-शक्ति/प्रभावः)

• दृष्ट-ओटजानि: the hermitages seen
• दृष्ट-ओटजानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + ओटज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (दृष्टानि ओटजानि = the hermitages seen)

• रम्याणि: beautiful
• रम्याणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with ओटजानि)

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस्/दुर्वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (predicate adjective)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main predicate/मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he became)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā surveys a wondrous sacred grove: many palaces, many ponds and tanks; at every step charming hermitages of great sages who have conquered time; his face shows astonishment and joy toward Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Ānandakānana
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as both spiritually supreme and divinely beautiful—where perfected sages dwell and Śiva’s presence turns the land into a living tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śambhu’s Ānandakānana within Kāśī, characterized by kuṇḍas/taḍāgas and sages’ hermitages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the imagery implies tīrtha-darśana and reverent circumambulation through the sacred grove.