Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

मरालीगलनालीस्थ बिसासक्तसितच्छदम् । विशोककोकमिथुनक्रीडाक्रेंकारसुंदरम्

Transliteration

marālīgalanālīstha bisāsaktasitacchadam | viśokakokamithunakrīḍākreṃkārasuṃdaram

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਹੰਸਾਂ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਕਮਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਨਾਲੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਚਿਮਟੇ ਚਿੱਟੇ ਪਰਾਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਪੰਛੀ ਸਨ; ਅਤੇ ਸਰੋਵਰ ਵਿਸ਼ੋਕ, ਕੋਕ ਪੰਛੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਜੋੜਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਕ੍ਰੀੜਾ ਨਾਲ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸੀ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਿੱਠੀਆਂ ਕੂਕਾਂ ਦੁੱਖ-ਰਹਿਤ ਗੂੰਜਦੀਆਂ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• मराली: female swan
• मराली: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मराली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem nom sg)

• गल: throat/neck
• गल: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• नाली: stalk, tube
• नाली: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense in compound/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem nom/acc sg)

• स्थ: situated on
• स्थ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थ (√स्था धातु, क-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ अर्थे (neuter nom/acc sg; situated)

• बिस: lotus-fibre
• बिस: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• आसक्त: clinging to
• आसक्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसक्त (√सञ्ज्/सक्त् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (neuter nom/acc sg; attached)

• सित: white
• सित: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• छदम्: leaf/wing (plumage)
• छदम्: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• विशोक: free from sorrow
• विशोक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc nom/acc sg)

• कोक: kokila/cuckoo (or a bird)
• कोक: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc nom/acc sg)

• मिथुन: pair, couple
• मिथुन: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• क्रीडा: play, sport
• क्रीडा: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem nom/acc sg)

• क्रेंकार: warbling/cry ‘kreṃ’
• क्रेंकार: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रेंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc nom/acc sg)

• सुन्दरम्: beautiful
• सुन्दरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm lotus lake: white birds cling to lotus stalks; haṃsas glide; paired kokas play and call sweetly; the whole scene feels sorrowless and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• haṃsa/marāla
• lotus (bisa)
• koka birds
• lake (saras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred sphere of Kāśī is depicted as ‘viśoka’—a realm where sorrow is pacified and the mind becomes fit for liberation-oriented devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred lake within Kāśī’s holy landscape (as part of the adhyāya’s grove-and-water description).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse.