Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

कलौ काशी च मथुरा ह्यवंती च द्विजोत्तम । अयोध्या च तथा माया कांची चैव च मत्पुरी

Transliteration

kalau kāśī ca mathurā hyavaṃtī ca dvijottama | ayodhyā ca tathā māyā kāṃcī caiva ca matpurī

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! കലിയുഗത്തിൽ കാശി, മഥുര, അവന്തി, അയോധ്യ, മായാ (ഹരിദ്വാർ), കാഞ്ചി, കൂടാതെ എന്റെ പുരി—ഇവയാണ് പ്രധാന തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-अधिकरणे

• काशी: Kashi (Varanasi)
• काशी: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मथुरा: Mathura
• मथुरा: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• अवन्ती: Avanti (Ujjain)
• अवन्ती: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमः द्विजः’

• अयोध्या: Ayodhya
• अयोध्या: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (in the same way/also)

• माया: Maya (Mayapuri)
• माया: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम (माया = हरिद्वार/मायापुरी इति परम्परा)

• कांची: Kanchi
• कांची: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• मत्पुरी: my city (Dvaraka)
• मत्पुरी: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मम पुरी’

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-purī (Kāśī, Mathurā, Avantī, Ayodhyā, Māyā/Haridvāra, Kāñcī, Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like tableau of seven cities, each with its signature icon: Kāśī with Viśvanātha and Gaṅgā, Mathurā with Yamunā and Kṛṣṇa, Avantī with Mahākāla and Śiprā, Ayodhyā with Rāma, Māyā/Haridvāra with Gaṅgā descent, Kāñcī with Devī/Varadarāja-Ekāmranātha, and Dvārakā with sea and Dvārakādhiśa.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga
• Kāśī
• Mathurā
• Avanti
• Ayodhyā
• Māyā (Haridvāra)
• Kāñcī
• Dvārakā (matpurī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali Yuga, certain sacred cities remain enduring gateways to liberation-oriented merit through pilgrimage and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A canonical set of holy cities is named—Kāśī, Mathurā, Avanti, Ayodhyā, Māyā, Kāñcī—along with Dvārakā (matpurī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a tīrtha-list, implying pilgrimage/darśana as the practice.