Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कियन्निमेषसंभोग्याः संति लक्ष्म्याः पदेपदे । परं निरंतरसुखाऽमुत्राप्यत्रापि का शिका

Transliteration

kiyannimeṣasaṃbhogyāḥ saṃti lakṣmyāḥ padepade | paraṃ niraṃtarasukhā'mutrāpyatrāpi kā śikā

Translation

ਹਰ ਕਦਮ ਤੇ ਉਹ ਲਕਸ਼ਮੀ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇਕ ਨਿਮੇਸ਼ ਲਈ ਭੋਗੀ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ? ਪਰ ਕਾਸ਼ਿਕਾ ਇੱਥੇ ਵੀ ਤੇ ਪਰਲੋਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਅਟੁੱਟ ਸੁਖ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• कियत्: how much
• कियत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-विशेषण (how much)

• निमेषसम्भोग्याः: enjoyable only for a moment
• निमेषसम्भोग्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भोग्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निमेषेण सम्भोग्याः = enjoyable for a moment)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• लक्ष्म्याः: of fortune/prosperity
• लक्ष्म्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (पदेपदे)

• परम्: but/however
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (but/however/indeed—contrastive particle)

• निरन्तर-सुखा: of uninterrupted happiness
• निरन्तर-सुखा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (निरन्तरं सुखं यस्याः सा)

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there/in the other world)

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

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

• काशिका: Kashika (Kashi)
• काशिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘का शिका’ = ‘काशिका’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting streams: on one side, coins and royal insignia vanish like a blink; on the other, Kāśī radiates a continuous golden light over ghats and temples, symbolizing unbroken happiness in both worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly fortune is momentary; Kāśī is praised for bestowing enduring well-being and spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā/Kāśī, described as a source of continuous happiness in both realms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse motivates choosing Kāśī over chasing fleeting prosperity.