Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

भूर्भुवः स्वस्तले वापि न पातालतले मलम् । नोर्ध्वलोके मया दृष्टं तादृक्क्षेत्रं क्वचिन्मुने

Transliteration

bhūrbhuvaḥ svastale vāpi na pātālatale malam | nordhvaloke mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tādṛkkṣetraṃ kvacinmune

Translation

ไม่ว่าในภูห์ ภุวห์ หรือสวห์ แม้ในปาตาลก็หาไม่; แม้ในโลกเบื้องบนทั้งหลาย ข้าก็มิได้เห็นที่ใดเลย โอ้มุนี ว่ามีเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์เช่นนั้นดุจกาศี

Word by Word

• भूः: Bhūḥ (earth/world)
• भूः: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (लोकनाम)

• भुवः: Bhuvaḥ (mid-region)
• भुवः: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (लोकनाम)

• स्वस्तले: in Svastala (heavenly region)
• स्वस्तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्तल (प्रातिपदिक; स्वः + स्थल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Kriya-vishesana (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपातः (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• पातालतले: in the netherworld region
• पातालतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातालतल (प्रातिपदिक; पाताल + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मलम्: impurity; defilement
• मलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate noun)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः

• ऊर्ध्वलोके: in the higher worlds
• ऊर्ध्वलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्वलोक (प्रातिपदिक; ऊर्ध्व + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle) — ‘seen’ (periphrastic passive sense)

• तादृक्: such; of that kind
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: anywhere/somewhere)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-speaker gestures across a cosmic map: Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, Pātāla, and higher lokas depicted as layered realms, yet Kāśī shines at the center as the unmatched kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūḥ
• Bhuvaḥ
• Svaḥ
• Pātāla
• Ūrdhvaloka
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is portrayed as unrivaled across all realms, underscoring its exceptional salvific status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta, implied as the incomparable kṣetra beyond all lokas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse functions as pure mahātmya (eulogy) establishing Kāśī’s supremacy.