Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यत्र देवः सदा तिष्ठेत्संवर्तेऽपि स वल्लभः । यैरियं प्रथितिं प्राप्ता काशी मुक्तिपुरीति च

Transliteration

yatra devaḥ sadā tiṣṭhetsaṃvarte'pi sa vallabhaḥ | yairiyaṃ prathitiṃ prāptā kāśī muktipurīti ca

Translation

ଯେଉଁ (ଲିଙ୍ଗମାନଙ୍କରେ) ଦେବ ସଦା ବିରାଜନ୍ତି—ପ୍ରଳୟକାଳରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯେମାନେ ପ୍ରିୟ—ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ହିଁ କାଶୀ ‘ମୁକ୍ତିପୁରୀ’ ବୋଲି ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଛି।

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• देवः: the god (Lord)
• देवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तिष्ठेत्: may remain, would stay
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संवर्ते: at the cosmic dissolution
• संवर्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive)

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वल्लभः: beloved, dear
• वल्लभः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यैः: by which/through whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• इयम्: this (city)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रथितिम्: fame, renown
• प्रथितिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्ता: has attained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे (agreeing with इयम्)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मुक्ति-पुरी: city of liberation
• मुक्ति-पुरी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः पुरी)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī) (continuing inquiry/description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī as Mukti-purī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva stands unwavering in Kāśī while the cosmos dissolves in the background—waves of dissolution, darkened skies—yet the Avimukta zone remains luminous; the ‘mukti-purī’ banner is symbolically shown over the city.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Deva (Śiva)
• Saṃvarta (cosmic dissolution)
• Mukti-purī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s mokṣa-power is grounded in Śiva’s perpetual presence; divine abiding makes the place uniquely liberating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as Mukti-purī due to Śiva’s abiding in particular liṅgas/sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit; the verse points to the importance of approaching the Śiva-abiding liṅgas for spiritual fruition.