Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । वाराणस्यां महाभाग यथा ते प्रेम वर्तते । तथा न कस्यचिन्मन्ये ततो वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | vārāṇasyāṃ mahābhāga yathā te prema vartate | tathā na kasyacinmanye tato vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ

Translation

ସ୍କନ୍ଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାଭାଗ! ବାରାଣସୀ ପ୍ରତି ତୁମର ଯେପରି ପ୍ରେମ ଅଛି, ସେପରି ଅନ୍ୟ କାହାରେ ଅଛି ବୋଲି ମୁଁ ମନେ କରେନି। ତେଣୁ ମୁଁ କିଛି ଛାଡ଼ିନାହିଁ, ସମସ୍ତ କଥା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ କହିବି।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः महा+भाग

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक (correlative adverb: 'as/how')

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेम: love
• प्रेम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्तते: exists/continues
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूपार्थक (correlative adverb: 'so/likewise')

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चितार्थे 'चित्' (indefinite)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अशेषतः: completely
• अशेषतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक (adverb: 'completely/without remainder')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A ‘mahābhāga’ devotee/sage (unnamed in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, in a calm teaching posture, addresses a fortunate sage/devotee whose heart is fixed on Kāśī; the city’s ghāṭas and a distant Viśveśvara spire suggest the subject of the discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deep love for a sacred place like Kāśī is itself a sign of grace, and it invites fuller teaching about its Māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī—also called Kāśī—presented as uniquely worthy of devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces an upcoming complete exposition of Kāśī’s greatness.