Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यत्र दंडप्रणामेन अप्येकेन शिवाग्रतः । तुच्छमेंद्रपदंप्राहुस्तां काशीं को विमुंचति

Transliteration

yatra daṃḍapraṇāmena apyekena śivāgrataḥ | tucchameṃdrapadaṃprāhustāṃ kāśīṃ ko vimuṃcati

Translation

Kung saan sa iisang ganap na pagpapatirapa (daṇḍavat) sa harap ni Śiva ay ipinahahayag nilang hamak ang katayuan ni Indra—sino ang magpapakawala sa Kāśī na iyon?

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• दण्डप्रणामेन: by a prostration like a staff (full prostration)
• दण्डप्रणामेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड-प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• एकेन: with one (single act)
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• शिवाग्रतः: before Śiva
• शिवाग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिव-अग्रतस् (अव्ययवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — ‘in front of Śiva’

• तुच्छम्: trifling
• तुच्छम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मप्रवचनीय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicative adjective

• इन्द्रपदम्: the status of Indra
• इन्द्रपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र-पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राहुः: they have said/call
• प्राहुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताम्: that (her)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विमुञ्चति: abandons/lets go
• विमुञ्चति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—Śiva-praṇāma (daṇḍavat)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-oriented audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a full daṇḍavat prostration on cool stone before a Śiva-liṅga; above, a faint image of Indra’s throne appears small and distant, emphasizing its triviality compared to Śiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Daṇḍa-praṇāma
• Indra
• Indra-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heavenly rank is inferior to devotion; a single humble act before Śiva in Kāśī outweighs celestial rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the premier Śaiva kṣetra where worship eclipses even Indra’s attainments.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform daṇḍavat praṇāma (full prostration) before Śiva; it is praised as supremely fruitful in Kāśī.