Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तथा दृष्टप्रभावश्चेत्तथा चेज्ज्ञानिनां वरः । पुरीं वाराणसीं श्रेष्ठां कथं किल शपिष्यति

Transliteration

tathā dṛṣṭaprabhāvaścettathā cejjñānināṃ varaḥ | purīṃ vārāṇasīṃ śreṣṭhāṃ kathaṃ kila śapiṣyati

Translation

കൂടാതെ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവം പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, അദ്ദേഹം സത്യത്തിൽ ജ്ഞാനികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനാണെങ്കിൽ—അപ്പോൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനഗരിയായ വാരാണസിയെ അദ്ദേഹം എങ്ങനെ ശപിക്കും?

Word by Word

• तथा: thus / so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/तथ्यार्थक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• दृष्टप्रभावः: one whose power has been seen / of proven power
• दृष्टप्रभावः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (दृश्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दृष्टः प्रभावः यस्य सः / दृष्टः प्रभावः) — विशेषणम् (वरः)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त/सम्भावनार्थक-निपातः (if)

• तथा: so / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तथ्यार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• एत्: (part of) if
• एत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘चेत्’ इत्यस्य रूपान्तर/सन्ध्यन्त-भागः; अत्र ‘चेत्’ एव ग्राह्यम् (पाठभेद/सन्धि)

• ज्ञानिनाम्: of the wise
• ज्ञानिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वरः: the best / excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुरीम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• श्रेष्ठाम्: excellent, supreme
• श्रेष्ठाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरीम्/वाराणसीम्)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (how)

• किल: indeed / then
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः—खलु/इव/श्रुत्यर्थे (indeed, as is said)

• शपिष्यति: will curse
• शपिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya emphasizes Vyāsa’s proven power and wisdom, gesturing toward an imagined vision of Vārāṇasī’s luminous ghats and temples, underscoring the paradox of any ‘curse’ against it.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Vyāsa
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s supremacy is assumed so strongly that even a great sage’s curse appears inconceivable—highlighting the city’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) itself is praised as the ‘श्रेष्ठा पुरी’—the foremost sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse raises a theological question about the status of Kāśī.