Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वदंत्यन्येपि मुनयस्तीर्थसंन्यासकारिणः । चिरंतना लोमशाद्याः काशिका मुक्तिकाशिका

Transliteration

vadaṃtyanyepi munayastīrthasaṃnyāsakāriṇaḥ | ciraṃtanā lomaśādyāḥ kāśikā muktikāśikā

Translation

ତୀର୍ଥ ଓ ସନ୍ନ୍ୟାସର ପରମ୍ପରା ସ୍ଥାପନ କରିଥିବା ଲୋମଶାଦି ପ୍ରାଚୀନ ମୁନିମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ କହନ୍ତି—‘କାଶିକା ହିଁ ମୁକ୍ତିକାଶିକା, ମୁକ୍ତିଦାୟିନୀ କାଶୀ।’

Word by Word

• vadanti: say
• vadanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश विशेषण/संज्ञा (‘others’)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (also)

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• tīrtha-saṃnyāsa-kāriṇaḥ: who practice renunciation at sacred places
• tīrtha-saṃnyāsa-kāriṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘tīrthe saṃnyāsaṃ kurvanti’/‘tīrtha-saṃnyāsaṃ kurvanti’) विशेषण

• ciraṃtanāḥ: ancient
• ciraṃtanāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciraṃtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (‘ancient/long-standing’)

• lomaśa-ādyāḥ: Lomaśa and others
• lomaśa-ādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lomaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘lomaśaḥ ādiḥ yeṣām’) ‘Lomaśa and others’

• kāśikā: Kāśikā (name/epithet of Kāśī)
• kāśikā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (Kāśikā)

• mukti-kāśikā: Muktikāśikā (Kāśī as giver of liberation)
• mukti-kāśikā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + kāśikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘mukteḥ kāśikā’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā / Muktikāśikā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathering of ancient sages—Lomaśa prominent—proclaiming in unison ‘Kāśikā is Muktikāśikā’; the backdrop shows Kāśī’s ghats and ascetics, linking tīrtha-sevana with saṃnyāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Muktikāśikā
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s status as a mokṣa-giving place is affirmed by a lineage of ancient sages and tīrtha-traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), explicitly praised as Muktikāśikā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse gestures toward tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and saṃnyāsa-oriented life as upheld by sages.