Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अनंतो महिमा काश्याः कस्तं वर्णयितुं प्रभुः । विपत्तिमिच्छतो जंतोर्यत्रकर्णे जपः शिवः

Transliteration

anaṃto mahimā kāśyāḥ kastaṃ varṇayituṃ prabhuḥ | vipattimicchato jaṃtoryatrakarṇe japaḥ śivaḥ

Translation

Walang hanggan ang kadakilaan ng Kāśī—sino ang may kapangyarihang magsalaysay nito? Sapagkat doon, kahit sa nilalang na nasa sandali ng panganib, sa kanyang tainga ay ibinubulong si Śiva bilang mantrang nagliligtas.

Word by Word

• anantaḥ: endless
• anantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘mahimā’ (poetic agreement by sense)

• mahimā: greatness
• mahimā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• kāśyāḥ: of Kāśī
• kāśyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• tam: that (greatness)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अन्वयः ‘तं (महिमानम्)’

• varṇayitum: to describe
• varṇayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to describe’

• prabhuḥ: is capable
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘समर्थः’ (capable one)

• vipattim: calamity
• vipattim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipatti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• icchataḥ: of (one) desiring
• icchataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣ (धातु) → icchat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘jantoḥ’

• jantoḥ: of a creature/person
• jantoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• karṇe: in the ear
• karṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• japaḥ: muttered prayer/recitation
• japaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• śivaḥ: (of) Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; apposition to ‘japaḥ’ (śiva-japa)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying pilgrim in Kāśī on a simple cot near a ghāṭ; Śiva (as compassionate lord) leans close to whisper a mantra into the ear; attendants chant softly; Gaṅgā flows nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Karṇajapa (ear-whispered mantra at death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a mokṣa-kṣetra where Śiva’s grace reaches even the dying through the liberating ear-whispered mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed for liberation at death through Śiva’s special presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karṇe-japa/karṇa-upadeśa—Śiva’s imparting of a mantra into the ear at the final moment (a salvation motif of Kāśī).