Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

इत्युद्देशात्समाख्याता महेंद्रनगरी स्थितिः । यायजूका वसंत्यत्र यज्ञविद्याविशारदाः

Transliteration

ityuddeśātsamākhyātā maheṃdranagarī sthitiḥ | yāyajūkā vasaṃtyatra yajñavidyāviśāradāḥ

Translation

Demikianlah, melalui petunjuk ringkas ini, keadaan kota Mahendra telah dihuraikan. Di sini tinggal para Yāyajūka—mereka yang sangat mahir dalam ilmu yajña.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक निपात (quotative particle: thus)

• uddeśāt: from (this) description/indication
• uddeśāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause-Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• samākhyātā: is called, is named
• samākhyātā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√khyā (धातु) → samākhyāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; "called/declared"

• mahendra-nagarī: Mahendra’s city
• mahendra-nagarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक) + nagarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—"महेन्द्रस्य नगरī"

• sthitiḥ: state, condition, situation
• sthitiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yāyajūkāḥ: ritual priests (yāyajūkas)
• yāyajūkāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāyajūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; याज्ञिक-विशेषः (a class of priests/ritualists)

• vasanti: live, dwell
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• yajña-vidyā-viśāradāḥ: skilled in the knowledge of sacrifices
• yajña-vidyā-viśāradāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—"यज्ञविद्यायां विशारदाः" (expert in sacrificial lore)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahendranagarī (as described realm) within Kāśī’s praise

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-figure gestures across a panoramic celestial city; groups of yāyajūka priests are shown teaching, chanting, and arranging ritual implements—an orderly tableau emphasizing expertise.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendranagarī
• Yāyajūkas
• Yajña-vidyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred realm is defined by dharmic culture—especially the preservation and mastery of yajña-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahendranagarī (Mahendra’s city), as narrated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa sacred-topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; it highlights expertise in yajña-vidyā and the presence of professional sacrificers (yāyajūkas).