Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विश्वसंतापसंहर्तुः स्थाने विश्वपतेस्तनुः । संताप्यतेतरां काश्या विश्लेषज महाग्निना

Transliteration

viśvasaṃtāpasaṃhartuḥ sthāne viśvapatestanuḥ | saṃtāpyatetarāṃ kāśyā viśleṣaja mahāgninā

Translation

విశ్వసంతాపాన్ని హరించే ప్రభువు ధామమైన కాశీలోనే జగత్పతి యొక్క దేహధారితత్త్వం వియోగజ మహాగ్నితో అత్యంతంగా తపించబడుతుంది.

Word by Word

• viśva-saṃtāpa-saṃhartuḥ: of the remover of the world’s affliction
• viśva-saṃtāpa-saṃhartuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (viśvasya saṃtāpasya saṃhartā)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• viśva-pateḥ: of the Lord of the universe
• viśva-pateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (viśvasya patiḥ)

• tanuḥ: the body/form
• tanuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• saṃtāpyate: is heated/tormented
• saṃtāpyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• itarām: exceedingly, greatly
• itarām: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative usage), तीव्रार्थे—‘अत्यन्तम्/बहु’

• kāśyā: by/through Kāśī
• kāśyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• viśleṣa-ja: born of separation (i.e., of intense disjunction)
• viśleṣa-ja: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśleṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘mahāgninā’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (viśleṣāt jātaḥ)

• mahā-agninā: by the great fire
• mahā-agninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (mahān agniḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic Kāśī: Viśveśvara’s presence as a radiant liṅga amid cremation-ghāṭ smoke and Ganga light; a sādhaka feels inner ‘fire’ of detachment, with flames rendered as subtle aura rather than literal burning.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viśvapati (Lord of the universe)
• Viśvasaṃtāpasaṃhartṛ (Remover of the world's afflictions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī accelerates inner purification: worldly attachment is ‘burned’ by a powerful detachment that leads toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as the Lord’s own abode where bondage is destroyed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the transformative spiritual ‘fire’ of detachment associated with Kāśī.