Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

येन लब्धा पुरी काशी त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा । त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापं तेन लब्धं महासुखम्

Transliteration

yena labdhā purī kāśī trailokyoddharaṇakṣamā | trailokyaiśvaryaduṣprāpaṃ tena labdhaṃ mahāsukham

Translation

மூன்று உலகங்களையும் உயர்த்த வல்ல காசிப்புரியை அடைந்தவன், மூவுலக ஆட்சியைவிட அரிதான பேரானந்தத்தைப் பெற்றவன்.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक ‘by whom’

• लब्धा: obtained
• लब्धा: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः; (काशी) ‘obtained’

• पुरी: the city
• पुरी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानाधिकरणम् (काशी)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा: able to uplift the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + उद्धरण + क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काशी); समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष): त्रैलोक्यस्य उद्धरणे क्षमा (capable of uplifting the three worlds)

• त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापम्: hard to obtain even with sovereignty over the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यदुष्प्रापम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + ऐश्वर्य + दुष्प्राप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महासुखम्) (context: ‘such as is hard to obtain even with the lordship of the three worlds’)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by him/thereby’

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (महासुखम्) ‘obtained’

• महासुखम्: great bliss
• महासुखम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: महत् सुखम् (great happiness)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa norm: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience of devotees and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāśī appears as a radiant city floating above the three worlds (heaven, earth, netherworld), sending beams of light that lift beings upward; a crown symbolizing sovereignty lies set aside.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attaining Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme blessing—greater than universal worldly power—because it leads toward upliftment and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The city of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified as ‘trailokyoddharaṇa-kṣamā’—able to uplift the three worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as Kāśī-stuti, encouraging pilgrimage, residence, and devotion there.