Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

क्व काशिका विश्वपदप्रकाशिका क्व कार्यमन्यत्परितोतिदुःखम् । तत्पंडितोन्यत्र कुतः प्रयाति किं याति कूष्मांडफलं ह्यजास्ये

Transliteration

kva kāśikā viśvapadaprakāśikā kva kāryamanyatparitotiduḥkham | tatpaṃḍitonyatra kutaḥ prayāti kiṃ yāti kūṣmāṃḍaphalaṃ hyajāsye

Translation

ที่ไหนเล่ากาศิกา ผู้ส่องสว่างซึ่งบทสูงสุดแก่สรรพสัตว์—และที่ไหนเล่างานอื่นซึ่งรายล้อมด้วยทุกข์? บัณฑิตแท้จะไปที่อื่นได้อย่างไร? ผลฟักทองจะเข้าปากแพะได้หรือ?

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रश्नवाचक (where?)

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

• विश्वपदप्रकाशिका: illuminator of the path of the universe
• विश्वपदप्रकाशिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + पद + प्रकाशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य पदस्य प्रकाशिका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काशिकायाः)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक

• कार्यम्: task, purpose
• कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कार्यस्य)

• परितोति-दुःखम्: pain all around / encompassing sorrow
• परितोति-दुःखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परितोति (अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (परितोति इव दुःखम्/परितः दुःखम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्: that (such)
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पण्डितः)

• पण्डितः: wise man
• पण्डितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (elsewhere)

• कुतः: from where?/how?
• कुतः: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/हेतुवाचक (from where?/how?)

• प्रयाति: goes forth, departs
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: why?/what?
• किम्: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कूष्माण्डफलम्: a pumpkin/gourd fruit
• कूष्माण्डफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्ड + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कूष्माण्डस्य फलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• अजास्ये: in a goat's mouth
• अजास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अजायाः आस्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Kāśī panorama with a radiant axis of light from Viśveśvara’s shrine; on the side, a symbolic vignette of a goat refusing a gourd, illustrating the impossibility of the wise choosing inferior paths.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Mokṣa (viśvapada)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as uniquely oriented to liberation; other aims are comparatively pain-laden, so the wise do not trade the highest good for lesser pursuits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Kāśikā, praised as revealing the highest spiritual state.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses sharp analogies to stress discernment and steadfastness in Kāśī.