Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कियन्निमेषसंभोग्याः संति लक्ष्म्याः पदेपदे । परं निरंतरसुखाऽमुत्राप्यत्रापि का शिका

Transliteration

kiyannimeṣasaṃbhogyāḥ saṃti lakṣmyāḥ padepade | paraṃ niraṃtarasukhā'mutrāpyatrāpi kā śikā

Translation

നിമിഷമാത്രം അനുഭവിക്കാവുന്ന ലക്ഷ്മി പടിപടിയായി എത്രയോ ഉണ്ട്; എന്നാൽ കാശികാ ഇഹലോകത്തും പരലോകത്തും നിരന്തരസുഖം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कियत्: how much
• कियत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-विशेषण (how much)

• निमेषसम्भोग्याः: enjoyable only for a moment
• निमेषसम्भोग्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भोग्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निमेषेण सम्भोग्याः = enjoyable for a moment)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• लक्ष्म्याः: of fortune/prosperity
• लक्ष्म्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

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

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (पदेपदे)

• परम्: but/however
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (but/however/indeed—contrastive particle)

• निरन्तर-सुखा: of uninterrupted happiness
• निरन्तर-सुखा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (निरन्तरं सुखं यस्याः सा)

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there/in the other world)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• काशिका: Kashika (Kashi)
• काशिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘का शिका’ = ‘काशिका’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting streams: on one side, coins and royal insignia vanish like a blink; on the other, Kāśī radiates a continuous golden light over ghats and temples, symbolizing unbroken happiness in both worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly fortune is momentary; Kāśī is praised for bestowing enduring well-being and spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā/Kāśī, described as a source of continuous happiness in both realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse motivates choosing Kāśī over chasing fleeting prosperity.