Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यथैंद्रजालिकीं दृष्ट्वा मायामिह विचक्षणः । क्षणेन मोहमायाति काशीं वीक्ष्य तथैव तौ

Transliteration

yathaiṃdrajālikīṃ dṛṣṭvā māyāmiha vicakṣaṇaḥ | kṣaṇena mohamāyāti kāśīṃ vīkṣya tathaiva tau

Translation

ଯେପରି ଜଣେ ବିଚକ୍ଷଣ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ମଧ୍ୟ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଜାଳିକର ମାୟା ଦେଖି କ୍ଷଣେ ମୋହରେ ପଡ଼େ, ସେପରି କାଶୀକୁ ଦେଖି ସେ ଦୁଇଜଣ ମଧ୍ୟ ତତ୍କ୍ଷଣାତ୍ ଭ୍ରମରେ ପଡ଼ିଲେ।

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• ऐंद्रजालिकीम्: a magical illusion (conjuring trick)
• ऐंद्रजालिकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐंद्रजालिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive), “having seen”

• मायाम्: illusion
• मायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• विचक्षणः: a discerning person
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयाति: comes/enters
• आयाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive), “having looked at/seen”

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual metaphor: Kāśī appears like a divine magician’s spectacle—radiant ghats, swirling crowds, shimmering temples—causing two powerful beings to stagger into sudden moha.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Māyā
• Indrajāla (magician’s illusion)
• Śaṅkukarṇa
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sharp intellect can be overcome by māyā; sacred places can intensify inner states, demanding vigilance and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose presence is depicted as uniquely powerful and mind-altering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a psychological-spiritual observation about moha arising from encounter with Kāśī.