Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अतएव हि तत्क्षेत्रं पवित्रमतिचित्रकृत् । विश्वेशितुः प्रियनित्यं विष्वग्ब्रह्माण्डमंडले

Transliteration

ataeva hi tatkṣetraṃ pavitramaticitrakṛt | viśveśituḥ priyanityaṃ viṣvagbrahmāṇḍamaṃḍale

Translation

เพราะฉะนั้น กษेत्रนั้นยิ่งนักบริสุทธิ์และน่าอัศจรรย์; ทั่วทั้งมณฑลแห่งจักรวาล ย่อมเป็นที่รักนิรันดร์ของพระวิศเวศะ ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งสรรพโลก

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from this)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक निपातः (for/indeed)

• तत्क्षेत्रम्: that sacred field/region
• तत्क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तत् क्षेत्रम्)

• पवित्रम्: pure, holy
• पवित्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम्)

• अतिचित्रकृत्: producing exceedingly wondrous (effects)
• अतिचित्रकृत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; कृदन्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय, agent noun) विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम्)

• विश्वेशितुः: of the Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईशिता)

• प्रिय: dear
• प्रिय: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रम्)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (always)

• विष्वक्: throughout
• विष्वक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्वक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वत्रार्थक (everywhere, throughout)

• ब्रह्माण्डमण्डले: in the sphere of the universe
• ब्रह्माण्डमण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य मण्डले)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: the universe as an orb, with Kāśī glowing at its heart; Viśveśa’s gaze or blessing ray falls upon the kṣetra, making it ‘aticitrakṛt’.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra
• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is grounded in its intimate, eternal belovedness to Viśveśa (Śiva), making it uniquely pure and wondrous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra, associated with Viśveśvara (Śiva) as its presiding Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the verse provides theological rationale for the kṣetra’s exceptional purity.