Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

प्रमथेषु प्रविष्टेषु मायावीर्यमहत्स्वपि । अहमेव प्रविष्टोस्मि वाराणस्यां न संशयः

Transliteration

pramatheṣu praviṣṭeṣu māyāvīryamahatsvapi | ahameva praviṣṭosmi vārāṇasyāṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ਭਾਵੇਂ ਪ੍ਰਮਥ ਮਹਾਨ ਮਾਇਆ-ਬਲ ਅਤੇ ਵੀਰਤਾ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ਼ ਕਰ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਵਾਰਾਣਸੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ਼ ਤਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਹੋਇਆ ਹਾਂ—ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਸੰਦੇਹ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• प्रमथेषु: among the Pramathas
• प्रमथेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; Locative

• प्रविष्टेषु: having entered
• प्रविष्टेषु: Kriya-visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् धातु + प्र- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण; agreeing with प्रमथेषु

• माया: magic / illusion
• माया: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (as first member in compound)

• वीर्य: power
• वीर्य: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (compound member)

• महत्सु: in great (beings)
• महत्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; adjective used substantively; 'in great (ones/things)'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 1st person pronoun

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• प्रविष्टः: entered
• प्रविष्टः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् + प्र-, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; predicate adjective with अस्मि

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative

• न: not / no
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Sthāṇu), reported by Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declaration of certainty: despite gaṇas entering with māyā-bala, it is Śiva himself who has entered Vārāṇasī—emphasizing divine immanence.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Śiva
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s holiness is grounded not merely in attendants or rituals, but in Śiva’s own direct indwelling presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī itself is explicitly glorified as the city entered and pervaded by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological affirmation of Śiva’s immanence in Kāśī.