Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

इत्थं धर्मेश माहात्म्यं मया स्वल्पं निरूपितम् । धर्मपीठस्य माहात्म्यं सम्यक्को वेद कुंभज

Transliteration

itthaṃ dharmeśa māhātmyaṃ mayā svalpaṃ nirūpitam | dharmapīṭhasya māhātmyaṃ samyakko veda kuṃbhaja

Translation

இவ்வாறு தர்மேசரின் மகிமையை நான் சுருக்கமாக உரைத்தேன்; ஆனால், ஓ கும்பஜா! தர்மபீடத்தின் உண்மையான மகிமையை முழுமையாக யார் அறிய வல்லார்?

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• धर्मेश: O Dharmeśa
• धर्मेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वल्पम्: a little
• स्वल्पम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• निरूपितम्: has been described
• निरूपितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + रूप् (धातु) → निरूपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• धर्मपीठस्य: of the Dharma-seat (Dharmapīṭha)
• धर्मपीठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly / fully
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ + ज (प्रातिपदिक); कुम्भात् जातः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष (born from a pot)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, addressing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara / Dharma-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator gestures modestly, indicating he has spoken only a little; behind him, a symbolic ‘Dharma-seat’ (pīṭha) near a Śiva shrine radiates, suggesting immeasurable sanctity beyond words.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśa/Dharmeśvara
• Dharma-pīṭha
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extensive praise only hints at Kāśī’s dharma-seat; its sanctity is presented as ultimately immeasurable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmeśa and the broader ‘Dharma-pīṭha’ of Kāśī (the sacred seat/foundation of Dharma).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse serves as a concluding doxology emphasizing the site’s boundless māhātmya.