Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इति मुदितमनाः स योगिनीनां निकुरंवस्त्वथमंदराद्रिकुंजात् । नभसि लघुकृतप्रयाणवेगो नयनातिथ्यमलंभयत्पुरीं ताम्

Transliteration

iti muditamanāḥ sa yoginīnāṃ nikuraṃvastvathamaṃdarādrikuṃjāt | nabhasi laghukṛtaprayāṇavego nayanātithyamalaṃbhayatpurīṃ tām

Translation

ଏପରି ଆନନ୍ଦିତମନା ସେଇ ଯୋଗିନୀମାନଙ୍କ ଦଳ ମନ୍ଦରାଦ୍ରିର କୁଞ୍ଜରୁ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କଲା; ଆକାଶରେ ଯାତ୍ରାବେଗକୁ ଲଘୁ କରି ସେମାନେ ଶୀଘ୍ର ତାହିଁ ପବିତ୍ର ପୁରୀର ନିର୍ମଳ ‘ନୟନାତିଥ୍ୟ’—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ମଙ୍ଗଳମୟ ଦର୍ଶନ—ଲାଭ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• mudita-manāḥ: whose mind was delighted
• mudita-manāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mudita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √mud) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (मुदितं मनः यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• yoginīnām: of the yoginīs
• yoginīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• nikurambhaḥ: the group, multitude
• nikurambhaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nikurambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• mandara-adri-kuñjāt: from the grove on Mount Mandara
• mandara-adri-kuñjāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandara (प्रातिपदिक) + adri (प्रातिपदिक) + kuñja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मन्दराद्रेः कुञ्जः), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• nabhasi: in the sky
• nabhasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nabhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• laghu-kṛta-prayāṇa-vegaḥ: whose travel-speed was made light/quick
• laghu-kṛta-prayāṇa-vegaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √kṛ) + prayāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (लघुकृतः प्रयाणवेगः यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• nayana-ātithyam: hospitality to the eyes (a pleasing sight)
• nayana-ātithyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक) + ātithya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नयनानां आतिथ्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• alam: fully, well
• alam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (sufficiently/well)

• abhayat: obtained, reached
• abhayat: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-labh (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• purīm: the city
• purīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• tām: that
• tām: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (darśana moment)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From Mandarādri’s leafy groves, a flock-like throng of yoginīs glides through the sky; the holy city of Kāśī appears, pure and radiant, becoming a ‘feast for the eyes’.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Mandarādri
• Kāśī (implied: purī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as intrinsically purifying and vision-blessing; approaching it transforms travel into sacred experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (the ‘purī’) is glorified as a pure and auspicious sight; Mandarādri is mentioned as the point of departure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing the merit of reaching and beholding the sacred city.