Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवदेवेश विश्वेश प्रासादाः सुमनोहराः । सर्वरत्नमया रम्याः साष्टाषष्टिरभूदिह

Transliteration

devadeveśa viśveśa prāsādāḥ sumanoharāḥ | sarvaratnamayā ramyāḥ sāṣṭāṣaṣṭirabhūdiha

Translation

हे देवदेवेश, हे विश्वेश! येथे अष्टषष्टि अत्यंत मनोहर प्रासाद झाले आहेत; ते सर्व रत्नांनी निर्मित व रम्य आहेत।

Word by Word

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां देवः तस्य ईशः)

• विश्वेश: O Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• प्रासादाः: palaces/temples
• प्रासादाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुमनोहराः: very charming
• सुमनोहराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-मनॊहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + मनोहर)

• सर्वरत्नमयाः: made of all kinds of jewels
• सर्वरत्नमयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-रत्न-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वैः रत्नैः मयः = made of all gems)

• रम्याः: beautiful
• रम्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• साष्टाषष्टिः: sixty-eight (in number)
• साष्टाषष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + अष्टा-षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक समाहार/द्वन्द्व (अष्टा + षष्टि = 68) सह-उपपद (स-)

• अभूत्: were/there came to be
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Nandī (deduced: direct address to Śiva; continues from v.3)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Kāśī with rows of jewel-like palaces, shimmering domes and spires; Śiva addressed as Viśveśa; Nandī indicating the marvels.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Śiva (Devadeveśa/Viśveśa)
• Rudrāvāsa/Kṛttivāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred realm is portrayed as a divine city, reflecting the Lord’s majesty and the extraordinary sanctity of the site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rudrāvāsa/Kṛttivāsa sacred area in Kāśī, depicted as adorned with divine palaces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is descriptive, establishing the site’s divine splendor as part of its māhātmya.