Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

तच्च ज्ञानं भवेत्पुंसां सम्यक्काशीनिषेवणात् । काशीनिषेवणेन स्याद्विश्वेशकरुणोदयः

Transliteration

tacca jñānaṃ bhavetpuṃsāṃ samyakkāśīniṣevaṇāt | kāśīniṣevaṇena syādviśveśakaruṇodayaḥ

Translation

ആ സത്യജ്ഞാനം മനുഷ്യർക്കു കാശിയെ സമ്യക്‌മായി സേവിച്ച്—ഭക്തിയോടെ വസിച്ച്—നടക്കുന്നതിലൂടെ ഉദിക്കുന്നു. കാശീസേവയാൽ വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ കരുണോദയം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would arise/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (properly, rightly)

• काशीनिषेवणात्: from properly resorting to Kāśī
• काशीनिषेवणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + नि-सेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—काश्याः निषेवणम् (resorting to Kāśī)

• काशीनिषेवणेन: by resorting to Kāśī
• काशीनिषेवणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + नि-सेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्यात्: would be/arise
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विश्वेशकरुणोदयः: the arising of Viśveśa’s compassion
• विश्वेशकरुणोदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक) + करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—विश्वेशस्य करुणायाः उदयः (arising of Viśveśa’s compassion)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims serve in Kāśī—offering water and bilva to Viśveśvara—while a soft radiance of compassion descends, symbolizing the dawn of knowledge in the devotee’s heart.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a living field of awakening: sincere engagement with the dharma of Kāśī draws forth knowledge and Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially as the realm of Viśveśa (Śiva), is explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a single rite, but the core discipline of kāśī-niṣevaṇa—proper service, devotion, and lived practice in Kāśī.