Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

असंख्याताः सहस्राणि ये रुद्रा अधिभूतले । तत्सर्वेभ्योऽधिका काश्यां जंतवो रुद्ररूपिणः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātāḥ sahasrāṇi ye rudrā adhibhūtale | tatsarvebhyo'dhikā kāśyāṃ jaṃtavo rudrarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

บนแผ่นดินมีรุทระนับพันนับหมื่นหาประมาณมิได้; แต่ในกาศี สรรพชีวิตผู้มีรูปเป็นรุทระนั้นประเสริฐยิ่งกว่ารุทระทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (ख्या धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक-क्तान्त-विशेषण

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अधिभूतले: on the earth
• अधिभूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• तत्: there/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative)

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all (of them)
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), बहुवचन

• अधिकाः: more/exceeding
• अधिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तुलनाबोधक-विशेषण

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• जन्तवः: creatures/beings
• जन्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रुद्ररूपिणः: having the form of Rudra
• रुद्ररूपिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; रूपिन्-विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalaśaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī street/ghāṭa where ordinary people subtly bear Rudra marks—third eye glow, crescent moon motif, ash lines—suggesting every being is Rudra-formed.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• beings (jantu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as uniquely saturated with Śiva—life in Kāśī is elevated by proximity to Rudra-consciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a whole is glorified as the supreme Śaiva kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse asserts the innate sanctity and Śaiva elevation of beings in Kāśī.