Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरी सा यादृशी काशी वशीकरणभूमिका । न तादृशीदृशीहासीत्क्वचिन्मे प्रायशो ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

purī sā yādṛśī kāśī vaśīkaraṇabhūmikā | na tādṛśīdṛśīhāsītkvacinme prāyaśo dhruvam

Translation

Тот город, Каши, — место непреодолимого духовного владычества (вашикарана); воистину, почти наверняка, нигде я не видел другого подобного.

Word by Word

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरी)

• यादृशी: such as, of what kind
• यादृशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरी)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पुरी’ का अपपद/समनाम (apposition)

• वशीकरणभूमिका: a ground/cause of subjugation (enchantment)
• वशीकरणभूमिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशीकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वशीकरणस्य भूमिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरी/काशी)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• तादृशी: such (like that)
• तादृशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दृशी)

• दृशी: a sight/one of such kind
• दृशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘दृशी’ = ‘दर्शन/दृष्टि’ (a sight/one like)

• हा: alas!/indeed!
• हा: Bhava-prakasha (Interjection/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/खेदवाचक निपात (interjection)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere, ever
• क्वचित्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/समयवाचक अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite adverb: somewhere/ever)

• मे: of me / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• प्रायशः: generally, for the most part
• प्रायशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रायः-शब्दः (adverb: mostly/usually)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे नपुंसक-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable usage: certainly)

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration of Śiva’s thought)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Kāśī as a radiant spiritual magnet: pilgrims, ascetics, and householders drawn toward the city’s luminous center, with subtle lines of force converging on Viśveśvara and the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as uniquely transformative—its sanctity exerts a compelling pull toward spiritual settlement and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a whole, praised as unparalleled among sacred cities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of Kāśī’s incomparable māhātmya.