Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

काशिवासिनिजने वनेचरेद्वित्रिभुज्यपि समीरभोजने । स्वैरचारिणि जितेंद्रियेप्यहो काशिवासिनि जने विशिष्टता

Transliteration

kāśivāsinijane vanecaredvitribhujyapi samīrabhojane | svairacāriṇi jiteṃdriyepyaho kāśivāsini jane viśiṣṭatā

Translation

แม้ผู้พำนักในกาศีจะดำรงตนดุจผู้เที่ยวป่า—ฉันเพียงครั้งเดียว สองครั้ง (หรือสามครั้ง) หรือประหนึ่งดำรงชีพด้วยลม—แม้จะดำเนินอย่างเสรีและชนะอินทรีย์แล้ว—กระนั้นก็ดี อนิจจา ยังมีความประเสริฐอันเป็นเอกลักษณ์เฉพาะแก่ชาวกาศี

Word by Word

• काशिवासिनि-जने: in a resident of Kāśī
• काशिवासिनि-जने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; काशीवासिनः जनः तस्मिन्

• वनेचरे: in a forest-dweller
• वनेचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (तुलनार्थे)

• द्वि-त्रि-भुजि: having eaten twice or thrice
• द्वि-त्रि-भुजि: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्वि + त्रि + भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; ‘द्वित्रिभुज्य’ (= द्विः त्रिः भुक्त्वा) इति; पाठे ‘द्वित्रिभुज्यपि’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार

• समीर-भोजने: in one who lives on air (air-eater)
• समीर-भोजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीर + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समीरः एव भोजनं यस्य (वायुभोजने)

• स्वैर-चारिणि: in one who roams freely
• स्वैर-चारिणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वैर + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (जने)

• जितेन्द्रिये: in one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रिये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येन सः; विशेषण (जने)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार

• अहो: indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/प्रशंसा उद्गार

• काशिवासिनि: in a resident of Kāśī
• काशिवासिनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जने: in a person
• जने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विशिष्टता: special excellence
• विशिष्टता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशिष्टता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / audience evaluating the hierarchy of sādhana (tapas vs kṣetra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic-like Kāśī resident—simple cloth, begging bowl—walks freely along the ghāṭs; beside him, a forest hermit practicing severe austerity; a subtle aura uniquely surrounds the Kāśī-vāsin, indicating ‘viśiṣṭatā’ granted by the city itself.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kāśīvāsin (dwellers of Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse proclaims the singular spiritual distinction of dwelling in Kāśī—its sanctity is so exceptional that even severe ascetic traits are spoken of in relation to Kāśī’s residents as a mark of unique blessedness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Kāśīkhaṇḍa as an unsurpassed sacred abode (sthāna-māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa) is prescribed here; the verse highlights austerity and restraint (limited eating, sense-control) while emphasizing the overarching greatness of Kāśīvāsa (dwelling in Kāśī).