Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवदेवेश विश्वेश प्रासादाः सुमनोहराः । सर्वरत्नमया रम्याः साष्टाषष्टिरभूदिह

Transliteration

devadeveśa viśveśa prāsādāḥ sumanoharāḥ | sarvaratnamayā ramyāḥ sāṣṭāṣaṣṭirabhūdiha

Translation

Wahai Dewa segala dewa, wahai Penguasa alam semesta! Di sini terwujud enam puluh lapan istana yang amat menawan—indah permai, menyenangkan, dan dibina daripada segala jenis permata.

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.