Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कस्तादृशि महीजानौ पुण्यवर्त्मन्यतंद्रिते । काशीपाले दिवोदासे मनागपि विरुद्धधीः

Transliteration

kastādṛśi mahījānau puṇyavartmanyataṃdrite | kāśīpāle divodāse manāgapi viruddhadhīḥ

Translation

Siapakah di bumi ini, setelah mengetahui demikian, masih akan menyimpan walau sekelumit fikiran yang menentang Divodāsa, pelindung Kāśī, yang tidak mengenal lelah di jalan kebajikan?

Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• तादृशि: in such (a case/condition)
• तादृशि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• महीजानौ: in (that) earth-born (king)
• महीजानौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘महीजा’ = पृथिव्यां जातः (earth-born)

• पुण्यवर्त्मनि: on the path of merit
• पुण्यवर्त्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; components: पुण्य + वर्त्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य वर्त्म)

• अतन्द्रिते: in the vigilant (one)
• अतन्द्रिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त/उपसर्ग-निषेधः: अ-तन्द्रित = not negligent; विशेषण

• काशीपाले: in the protector of Kāśī
• काशीपाले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; components: काशी + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः पालः)

• दिवोदासे: in Divodāsa
• दिवोदासे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of degree)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• विरुद्धधीः: a contrary-minded (person)
• विरुद्धधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरुद्ध-धी (प्रातिपदिक; components: विरुद्ध + धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विरुद्धा धीः यस्य/या)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reverent courtly scene in Kāśī: sages or narrators extol Divodāsa as tireless guardian of the meritorious path, with the city’s ghats and temples implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Divodāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those who uphold a sacred city through dharma deserve honor; opposing such guardianship is portrayed as spiritually improper.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically through praise of its guardian-king Divodāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of dharmic respect toward the righteous protector of a holy kṣetra.