Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

चिंतितार्थप्रदा काचित्काचिज्ज्योतिः कलावती । इत्यादि वेषभाषाभिरनुकृत्य समंततः

Transliteration

ciṃtitārthapradā kācitkācijjyotiḥ kalāvatī | ityādi veṣabhāṣābhiranukṛtya samaṃtataḥ

Translation

Sebahagian Yoginī menzahirkan diri sebagai “Pemberi hajat yang dihajati”, sebahagian sebagai “Cahaya”, dan sebahagian sebagai “Kalāvatī—anggun serta mahir seni”. Demikianlah, dengan meniru segala jenis pakaian dan tutur bicara, mereka bergerak mengelilingi kota ke segenap penjuru.

Word by Word

• चिन्तितार्थप्रदा: granting the desired objects
• चिन्तितार्थप्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्तित + अर्थ + प्रदा (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• काचित्: some (other)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• ज्योतिः: light; radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• कलावती: possessing arts/skills
• कलावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कला + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गुणवाचक विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• इत्यादि: thus etc.; and the like
• इत्यादि: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावसमास; प्रकारवाचक (indecl. ‘and so on’)

• वेषभाषाभिः: by costumes and languages
• वेषभाषाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष + भाषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (instrumental plural)

• अनुकृत्य: having imitated
• अनुकृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having imitated)

• समन्ततः: on all sides; everywhere
• समन्ततः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indecl. adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of yoginīs in varied disguises—some luminous, some graceful, some boon-giving—circling lanes and ghāṭa-approaches of Kāśī, blending into crowds while their eyes gleam with otherworldly power.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a living sacred field where divine forces move unseen; spiritual reality is not limited to outward appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a uniquely protected and spiritually charged city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on the Yoginīs’ disguises and movement through the city.