Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

कलौ काशी च मथुरा ह्यवंती च द्विजोत्तम । अयोध्या च तथा माया कांची चैव च मत्पुरी

Transliteration

kalau kāśī ca mathurā hyavaṃtī ca dvijottama | ayodhyā ca tathā māyā kāṃcī caiva ca matpurī

Translation

Wahai Brahmana yang utama, pada zaman Kali, Kāśī, Mathurā, Avanti, Ayodhyā, Māyā (Haridvāra), Kāñcī, dan juga kotaku sendiri—itulah tīrtha suci yang paling utama.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-अधिकरणे

• काशी: Kashi (Varanasi)
• काशी: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मथुरा: Mathura
• मथुरा: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• अवन्ती: Avanti (Ujjain)
• अवन्ती: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमः द्विजः’

• अयोध्या: Ayodhya
• अयोध्या: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (in the same way/also)

• माया: Maya (Mayapuri)
• माया: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम (माया = हरिद्वार/मायापुरी इति परम्परा)

• कांची: Kanchi
• कांची: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• मत्पुरी: my city (Dvaraka)
• मत्पुरी: Karta (Listed subject/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मम पुरी’

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-purī (Kāśī, Mathurā, Avantī, Ayodhyā, Māyā/Haridvāra, Kāñcī, Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like tableau of seven cities, each with its signature icon: Kāśī with Viśvanātha and Gaṅgā, Mathurā with Yamunā and Kṛṣṇa, Avantī with Mahākāla and Śiprā, Ayodhyā with Rāma, Māyā/Haridvāra with Gaṅgā descent, Kāñcī with Devī/Varadarāja-Ekāmranātha, and Dvārakā with sea and Dvārakādhiśa.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga
• Kāśī
• Mathurā
• Avanti
• Ayodhyā
• Māyā (Haridvāra)
• Kāñcī
• Dvārakā (matpurī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali Yuga, certain sacred cities remain enduring gateways to liberation-oriented merit through pilgrimage and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A canonical set of holy cities is named—Kāśī, Mathurā, Avanti, Ayodhyā, Māyā, Kāñcī—along with Dvārakā (matpurī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a tīrtha-list, implying pilgrimage/darśana as the practice.