Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

धराधरेंद्रस्य धरातिसुंदरा न मां तथास्यापि धिनोति धूर्जटे । धरागतापीह न या ध्रुवंधरा पुरीधुरीणा तव काशिका यथा

Transliteration

dharādhareṃdrasya dharātisuṃdarā na māṃ tathāsyāpi dhinoti dhūrjaṭe | dharāgatāpīha na yā dhruvaṃdharā purīdhurīṇā tava kāśikā yathā

Translation

โอ้ ธูรชเฏ แม้แคว้นอันงดงามยิ่งของจอมราชาแห่งขุนเขาก็มิได้ชื่นใจข้าพเจ้าเท่ากับกาศิกาเมืองประเสริฐของพระองค์—ตั้งมั่นบนแผ่นดิน มั่นคงและหาที่เปรียบมิได้

Word by Word

• धराधरेन्द्रस्य: of the lord of mountains
• धराधरेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धराधरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) = धराधर + इन्द्र (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धराधराणाम् इन्द्रः)

• धरातिसुन्दरा: exceedingly beautiful (earthly)
• धरातिसुन्दरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धरातिसुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) = धरा + अति + सुन्दर (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अतिसुन्दरा धरा-सम्बद्धा)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus / in that way
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• अस्य: of this / of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• धिनोति: affects / troubles
• धिनोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धि-धातोः (धिनोति)

• धूर्जटे: O Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• धूर्जटे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्जटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• धरागता: having come to earth
• धरागता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धरागत (प्रातिपदिक) = धरा + गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; गत-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• इह: here
• इह: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्

• ध्रुवंधरा: the steadfast earth / firm support
• ध्रुवंधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुवंधरा (प्रातिपदिक) = ध्रुवम् + धरा (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (ध्रुवा धरा)

• पुरीधुरीणा: bearing the burden of the city
• पुरीधुरीणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरीधुरीण (प्रातिपदिक) = पुरी + धुरीण (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुर्याः धुरीणः/धुरीणा = भारवाहकः)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• यथा: as / like
• यथा: Comparison (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/like)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Dhūrjaṭe)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee addresses Dhūrjaṭa (Śiva), declaring that even the most beautiful mountain-lord’s realm cannot match Kāśī; Kāśī is envisioned as a steadfast, radiant city resting on earth yet transcending it.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva (Dhūrjaṭa)
• Kāśī (Kāśikā)
• Himālaya (implied by 'dharādhareṃdra')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual preeminence outweighs mere natural beauty; Kāśī’s sanctity surpasses even the most splendid regions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), called the foremost of cities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse motivates devotion and pilgrimage by asserting Kāśī’s unmatched merit.