Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । गोदावरीतटं रम्यं विचरन्नपि वै मुनिः । न तत्याज च तं तापं काशीविरहजं परम्

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | godāvarītaṭaṃ ramyaṃ vicarannapi vai muniḥ | na tatyāja ca taṃ tāpaṃ kāśīvirahajaṃ param

Translation

ਵਿਆਸ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਗੋਦਾਵਰੀ ਦੇ ਸੁਹਾਵਣੇ ਤਟ ਉੱਤੇ ਭਟਕਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਵੀ ਉਹ ਮੁਨੀ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਦੇ ਵਿਛੋੜੇ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਜੇ ਉਸ ਪਰਮ ਤਾਪ ਨੂੰ ਤਿਆਗ ਨਾ ਸਕਿਆ।

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गोदावरी-तटम्: the bank of the Godāvarī
• गोदावरी-तटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदावरी (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: 'of Godāvarī'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies तटम्)

• विचरन्: wandering
• विचरन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• तत्याज: abandoned
• तत्याज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तापम्: burning pain/anguish
• तापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• काशी-विरह-जम्: born of separation from Kāśī
• काशी-विरह-जम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + विरह (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (काश्याः विरहात् जातम्); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies तापम्)

• परम्: supreme/intense
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies तापम्)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Godāvarī-taṭa (as setting) / Kāśī (as supreme object)

Type: riverbank

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa (or a great muni) walking along the serene Godāvarī at dawn, yet visibly consumed by inner heat of separation; his gaze turns northward as if seeking Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Godāvarī
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as spiritually incomparable—so powerful that even other holy landscapes cannot extinguish the devotee’s longing for it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified, even when contrasted with the beautiful Godāvarī riverbank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a praise-by-narrative of Kāśī’s unique sanctity.