Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

समृद्धिर्या गृहस्थानामिह विश्वेशितुः पुरि । न सर्द्धिरस्ति वैकुंठे स्वल्पास्ता अलकादयः

Transliteration

samṛddhiryā gṛhasthānāmiha viśveśituḥ puri | na sarddhirasti vaikuṃṭhe svalpāstā alakādayaḥ

Translation

വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ ഈ പുരിയിൽ ഗൃഹസ്ഥർ അനുഭവിക്കുന്ന സമൃദ്ധി വൈകുണ്ഠത്തിലും ഇല്ല; അതിനോട് താരതമ്യത്തിൽ അലകാദി ലോകങ്ങൾ പോലും ചെറുതുതന്നെ.

Word by Word

• समृद्धिः: prosperity
• समृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun: “which”)

• गृहस्थानाम्: of householders
• गृहस्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive: “of householders”)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• विश्वेशितुः: of Viśveśa (the Lord)
• विश्वेशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईशितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विश्वस्य ईशिता); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive: “of the Lord of the universe”)

• पुरि: in the city
• पुरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative: “in the city”)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• सदृशिः: an equal (prosperity)
• सदृशिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदृशि/सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (पाठे “सर्द्धिः” इति सन्ध्यन्तर/लिप्यन्तर-भेदः सम्भवः) अर्थः: “समता/तुल्या समृद्धिः”

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैकुण्ठे: in Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• स्वल्पाः: small / insignificant
• स्वल्पाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ताः: those (cities)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (demonstrative: “those”)

• अलकादयः: Alakā and the like
• अलकादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलका + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अलका आदिः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Disciples of Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-purī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Guru

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Kāśī’s abundance: well-kept homes, generous householders offering food, temple towers, and the Gaṅgā—while faint, diminished depictions of Vaikuṇṭha and Alakā appear as smaller comparative vignettes.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara (Śiva)
• Kāśī
• Vaikuṇṭha
• Alakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a supreme sacred realm where worldly life (gṛhastha) can flourish under divine auspice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī—Viśveśvara’s city—praised as surpassing even celestial abodes in prosperity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a mahātmya-style eulogy of Kāśī’s abundance and status.