Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इह श्रुतिमतां पुंसां याभ्यां काशी श्रुता सकृत् । तदेव मनुते सर्वं मनस्त्विह मनस्विनाम

Transliteration

iha śrutimatāṃ puṃsāṃ yābhyāṃ kāśī śrutā sakṛt | tadeva manute sarvaṃ manastviha manasvināma

Translation

इह श्रुतिमतां पुंसां याभ्यां काशी सकृच्छ्रुता, तेषां मनः तदेव सर्वं मन्यते; मनस्विनां मनस्तत्रैव निश्चलम्॥

Word by Word

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• śruti-matām: of the learned (possessing scripture/hearing)
• śruti-matām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक) + -mat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण

• puṃsām: of men
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

• yābhyām: by/with which two (means)
• yābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया/सप्तमी (3rd/7th case), द्विवचन (dual)

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• śrutā: is heard
• śrutā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) → śruta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive sense)

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक; 'एकवारम्'/once)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• manute: thinks, considers
• manute: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक; 'but')

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• manasvinām: of the high-minded
• manasvinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A listener hears of Kāśī and becomes inwardly absorbed; the mind is depicted as turning toward a radiant vision of Kāśī’s ghāṭs and Śiva’s presence, while worldly scenes fade.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single hearing of Kāśī’s glory can reorient the mind of the discerning toward the highest aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī, whose very mention and hearing is presented as spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) of Kāśī-māhātmya is implied as a potent practice, even without additional rites.