Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

काश्यां यो राजधान्यां मे हित्वा मामन्यमर्चयेत् । स वराकोल्पधीर्मुष्टोऽल्पतुष्टिर्मुक्तिवर्जितः

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ yo rājadhānyāṃ me hitvā māmanyamarcayet | sa varākolpadhīrmuṣṭo'lpatuṣṭirmuktivarjitaḥ

Translation

എന്റെ രാജധാനിയായ കാശിയിൽ എന്നെ വിട്ട് മറ്റൊരാളെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നവൻ ദയനീയൻ, അൽപബുദ്ധി, കൃപണൻ, ചെറുതിൽ തന്നെ തൃപ്തനാകുന്നവൻ, മുക്തിവഞ്ചിതൻ.

Word by Word

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

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

• राजधान्याम्: in the capital city
• राजधान्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; काशी-विशेषणभावे

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (enclitic)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (धातु) → हित्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (क्त्वा/gerund): ‘त्यक्त्वा/having abandoned’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अन्यम्: another (deity)
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘अन्यं (देवम्)’

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• वराकः: wretched, pitiable
• वराकः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अल्पधीः: of little understanding
• अल्पधीः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘अल्पा धीः यस्य’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थेऽपि प्रयोगः)

• मुष्टः: robbed, deprived
• मुष्टः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मुṣ्/मुṣ् ‘स्तेये’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘लुप्त/robbed’

• अल्पतुष्टिः: having little satisfaction
• अल्पतुष्टिः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पतुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘अल्पा तुष्टिः’

• मुक्तिवर्जितः: devoid of liberation
• मुक्तिवर्जितः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘मुक्त्या वर्जितः’ (मुक्तिरहितः)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Śiva-rājadhānī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī turns away from a radiant Śiva shrine toward a lesser, glittering distraction; the scene carries a cautionary tone—small gains contrasted with the looming promise of liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī
• Mukti (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as Śiva’s own domain; turning away from Śiva there is depicted as spiritual folly that obstructs liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, described as Śiva’s rājadhānī (royal city).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription of prioritizing Śiva-arcana in Kāśī rather than diverting worship away from Śiva within that sacred sphere.