Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रतीर्थकदंबं च मुक्तिमंडप संकथा । विश्वेशाविर्भवश्चाथ ततो यात्रापरिक्रमः

Transliteration

kṣetratīrthakadaṃbaṃ ca muktimaṃḍapa saṃkathā | viśveśāvirbhavaścātha tato yātrāparikramaḥ

Translation

കാശീക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ ക്ഷേത്ര-തീർത്ഥങ്ങളുടെ സമുച്ചയം, മുക്തി-മണ്ഡപത്തിന്റെ കഥ, തുടർന്ന് വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ അവിർഭാവം—അതിനുശേഷം യാത്രാ-പരിക്രമയുടെ വിധിയും വിവരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रतीर्थकदम्बम्: a cluster/collection of sacred places and tīrthas
• क्षेत्रतीर्थकदम्बम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कदम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्राणां तीर्थानां कदम्बम् = समूहः)

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

• मुक्तिमण्डपसंकथा: the account of the Mukti-maṇḍapa
• मुक्तिमण्डपसंकथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक) + संकथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तिमण्डपस्य संकथा)

• विश्वेशाविर्भवः: the manifestation of Viśveśa
• विश्वेशाविर्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक) + आविर्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वेशस्य आविर्भावः)

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

• अथ: then/thereafter
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — तद्-प्रभव; अपादान/क्रमार्थे ‘thereafter/from that’

• यात्रापरिक्रमः: the pilgrimage-circuit (itinerary)
• यात्रापरिक्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + परिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यात्रायाः परिक्रमः)

Speaker

Narratorial/Index-verse (Anukramaṇikā style; speaker not explicit here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra tīrtha-kadamba; Mukti-maṇḍapa; Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa (frame) and pilgrims/listeners

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-map scene: many small shrines and ghāṭas forming a garland around the city; Mukti-maṇḍapa as a pavilion with sages; Viśveśa appearing as a radiant liṅga; pilgrims beginning the circumambulation route.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṣetra
• Tīrtha
• Mukti-maṇḍapa
• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is mapped as a liberating landscape where narratives, shrines, and pilgrimage practice together lead toward mokṣa-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa/Viśvanātha is foregrounded, along with the Mukti-maṇḍapa and the wider network of Kāśī tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points to the practice of yātrā-parikramā (pilgrimage circuit), elaborated in subsequent verses.