Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ममतारहितस्यापि मम सर्वात्मनो ध्रुवम् । त एव मामका लोके ये काशीनाम जापकाः

Transliteration

mamatārahitasyāpi mama sarvātmano dhruvam | ta eva māmakā loke ye kāśīnāma jāpakāḥ

Translation

ഞാൻ മമതാരഹിതനും സർവ്വാത്മാവുമായിരുന്നാലും ഇത് നിശ്ചയം—ലോകത്തിൽ കാശീനാമം ജപിക്കുന്നവർ തന്നെയാണ് സത്യത്തിൽ എന്റെ സ്വന്തം.

Word by Word

• ममता-रहितस्य: of (one) free from possessiveness
• ममता-रहितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ममता (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ममतायाः रहितः)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सर्व-आत्मनः: of the all-self / of the universal self
• सर्व-आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वः आत्मा यस्य)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative) ‘certainly’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• मामकाः: my own (people)
• मामकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मामक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• काशी-नाम: the name ‘Kāśī’
• काशी-नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (काश्याः नाम)

• जापकाः: reciters/chanters
• जापकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु) + अक (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; first-person ‘mama’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta Kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A devotee-sage interlocutor within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Shiva as Viśvanātha, serene and all-pervading, extends a gesture of acceptance toward pilgrims softly repeating ‘Kāśī’; the city’s ghats and a luminous lingam suggest Avimukta’s ever-present grace.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nāma-japa of Kāśī creates an intimate divine relationship; the chanter becomes especially dear to the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through the practice of chanting her name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kāśī-nāma-japa (repetition of the name of Kāśī).