Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

चरणौ विचरेतांयौ विश्वभर्तृ पुरी भुवि । तावेव श्रवणौ श्रोतुं संविदा ते बहुश्रुतौ

Transliteration

caraṇau vicaretāṃyau viśvabhartṛ purī bhuvi | tāveva śravaṇau śrotuṃ saṃvidā te bahuśrutau

Translation

பூமியில் உலகத்தைத் தாங்கும் இறைவனின் நகரத்தில் உலாவத் தகுதியானவை அந்தப் பாதங்களே. மேலும் உணர்வோடு கேட்கும் செவிகளே கேட்கத் தகுதியானவை—அவர்களே உண்மையான பலகேள்வியாளர்.

Word by Word

• caraṇau: (two) feet
• caraṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन (dual)

• vicaretām: may (they two) roam
• vicaretām: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (dual); उपसर्ग: vi-

• yau: which two
• yau: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन (dual)

• viśva-bhartṛ: of the sustainer of the universe
• viśva-bhartṛ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (singular) (सम्बन्धे)

• purī: the city
• purī: Adhikarana (Location as apposition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन (dual)

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

• śravaṇau: (two) ears
• śravaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन (dual)

• śrotum: to hear
• śrotum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• saṃvidā: with understanding/awareness
• saṃvidā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural) (संबोधनार्थे/‘they’)

• bahu-śrutau: much-hearing, well-learned
• bahu-śrutau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + śruta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन (dual); विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśvabhartṛ-purī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks through Kāśī’s lanes toward temples while simultaneously listening to a learned reciter explaining the kṣetra’s meaning; ears and feet are symbolically highlighted.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Viśvabhartṛ)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit lies in using body and senses for dharma: walking the sacred city and hearing sacred teaching with understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, described as the earthly city of the universe’s sustainer (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied disciplines: pilgrimage-walking in Kāśī and śravaṇa (listening) to sacred discourse with attentive comprehension.