Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वैश्वेश्वरी पुरी चैषा यथा मे चित्तहारिणी । सर्वापि न तथा क्षोणी न स्वर्गो नैव नागभूः

Transliteration

vaiśveśvarī purī caiṣā yathā me cittahāriṇī | sarvāpi na tathā kṣoṇī na svargo naiva nāgabhūḥ

Translation

ఈ వైశ్వేశ్వరీ పురి (కాశీ) నా చిత్తాన్ని ఎంతగా ఆకర్షిస్తుందో, అంతగా సమస్త భూమి కాదు, స్వర్గం కాదు, నాగలోకం కూడా కాదు।

Word by Word

• vaiśveśvarī: belonging to Viśveśvara
• vaiśveśvarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśveśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• purī: city
• purī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• eṣā: this (she/this one)
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yathā: as; just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• citta-hāriṇī: heart-stealing; mind-enchanting
• citta-hāriṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + hāriṇī (हृ धातु, णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• sarvā: every (one)
• sarvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: particle (even/also)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• tathā: so; to that extent
• tathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'so/thus/in that way')

• kṣoṇī: earth
• kṣoṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣoṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• svargaḥ: heaven
• svargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: negation

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• nāga-bhūḥ: the Nāga-world (nether region)
• nāga-bhūḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī) / Viśveśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic map-like tableau: Kāśī at center with Viśveśvara’s radiance; around it, faint rings representing Bhū-loka, Svarga, and Nāga-bhūmi, all dimmer; a devotee’s heart motif drawn toward Kāśī’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī)
• Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha (Śiva)
• Svarga
• Nāga-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is affirmed as incomparable across worlds, indicating its unique status as Śiva’s city and a supreme field for spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaiśveśvarī Purī—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) associated with Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is pure praise of place (sthāna-stuti) emphasizing Kāśī’s unmatched merit.