Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

येन लब्धा पुरी काशी त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा । त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापं तेन लब्धं महासुखम्

Transliteration

yena labdhā purī kāśī trailokyoddharaṇakṣamā | trailokyaiśvaryaduṣprāpaṃ tena labdhaṃ mahāsukham

Translation

ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਪੁਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰ ਲਿਆ—ਜੋ ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਉੱਧਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਸਮਰੱਥ ਹੈ—ਉਸ ਨੇ ਮਹਾਨ ਸੁਖ ਪਾ ਲਿਆ, ਜੋ ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਰਬਸਤਾ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਦੁਰਲੱਭ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक ‘by whom’

• लब्धा: obtained
• लब्धा: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः; (काशी) ‘obtained’

• पुरी: the city
• पुरी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानाधिकरणम् (काशी)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा: able to uplift the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + उद्धरण + क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काशी); समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष): त्रैलोक्यस्य उद्धरणे क्षमा (capable of uplifting the three worlds)

• त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापम्: hard to obtain even with sovereignty over the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + ऐश्वर्य + दुष्प्राप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महासुखम्) (context: ‘such as is hard to obtain even with the lordship of the three worlds’)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by him/thereby’

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (महासुखम्) ‘obtained’

• महासुखम्: great bliss
• महासुखम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: महत् सुखम् (great happiness)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa norm: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience of devotees and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāśī appears as a radiant city floating above the three worlds (heaven, earth, netherworld), sending beams of light that lift beings upward; a crown symbolizing sovereignty lies set aside.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attaining Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme blessing—greater than universal worldly power—because it leads toward upliftment and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The city of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified as ‘trailokyoddharaṇa-kṣamā’—able to uplift the three worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as Kāśī-stuti, encouraging pilgrimage, residence, and devotion there.