Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अतः प्रतिकृतिः स्वीया तत्र काश्यां मुरारिणा । प्रतितस्थे कलशजस्तोकांशेन च निर्गतम्

Transliteration

ataḥ pratikṛtiḥ svīyā tatra kāśyāṃ murāriṇā | pratitasthe kalaśajastokāṃśena ca nirgatam

Translation

ଏହେତୁ କାଶୀରେ ମୁରାରି (ବିଷ୍ଣୁ) ନିଜର ପ୍ରତିନିଧି-ରୂପ ପ୍ରତିକୃତି ସ୍ଥାପନ କଲେ; ଏବଂ କଳଶଜ (ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ) ମଧ୍ୟ କେବଳ ଅଳ୍ପାଂଶରେ ନିର୍ଗତ ହେଲେ, ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: ‘therefore/from that’)

• प्रतिकृतिः: counterpart, replica
• प्रतिकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति + कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वीया: his own
• स्वीया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मुरारिणा: by Murāri (Vishnu)
• मुरारिणा: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुर + अरि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘enemy of Mura’ = Viṣṇu)

• प्रतितस्थे: stood firm, remained
• प्रतितस्थे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: प्रति-

• कलशजः: the pot-born (Agastya)
• कलशजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश + ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘born from a pot’ = Agastya)

• तोकांशेन: by a small portion
• तोकांशेन: Karana (Measure/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोक + अंश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘a small portion’)

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

• निर्गतम्: gone out, departed
• निर्गतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियापद)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: निर्-

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (with a Vaiṣṇava sannidhāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (unnamed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Murāri) establishes a localized representation in Kāśī; Agastya (kalasha-born) departs only partially, suggesting lingering sanctity/connection.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viṣṇu (Murāri)
• Agastya (Kalaśaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence in Kāśī is enduring and institutionally established; even departures occur without severing sacred connection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where Viṣṇu’s representation is said to be set up, reinforcing the city’s multi-deity sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse describes sacred establishment (pratiṣṭhā-like presence) rather than a devotee’s rite.