Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

अलभ्यलाभो देवस्य जातोत्र हि यतः परः । ततः काशी प्रवेशाख्यं जप्यमाख्यानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

alabhyalābho devasya jātotra hi yataḥ paraḥ | tataḥ kāśī praveśākhyaṃ japyamākhyānamuttamam

Translation

کیونکہ اسی مقام کے بعد یہاں دیو نے وہ لابھ پا لیا جو ورنہ نایاب ہے؛ اس لیے “کاشی میں ورود” نامی یہ اعلیٰ مقدس آکھ्यान جپ (عبادی تکرار) کے طور پر پڑھا جائے۔

Word by Word

• alabhya-lābhaḥ: the gaining of the unattainable
• alabhya-lābhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alabhya (कृदन्त/विशेषण, √labh) + lābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (alabhyasya lābhaḥ)

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• jātaḥ: has arisen/occurred
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘has arisen/has occurred’

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• yataḥ: because/from which
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb)

• paraḥ: supreme/other
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the subject)

• tataḥ: therefore/from that
• tataḥ: Hetu/Apadana (From that/तस्मात्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb)

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

• praveśa-ākhyam: called ‘Entrance’
• praveśa-ākhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praveśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नामधारक-तत्पुरुषः (praveśa-ākhyam = ‘called entry’)

• japyam: to be recited
• japyam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jap (धातु) → japya (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• ākhyānam: narration/account
• ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ākhyānam)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-praveśa (Entering Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/reader; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, Agastya is the principal listener in the ensuing section

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the threshold of Kāśī recites a palm-leaf text titled ‘Kāśī-praveśa’; above, Śiva’s presence is suggested as a luminous, moon-crested form blessing the act of recitation; the city’s ghāṭs and spires appear in the distance as a sacred horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Deva (Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a uniquely salvific sacred realm where even the “unattainable” becomes attainable through devotion and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised through the theme of “Kāśī-praveśa” (entering the holy city).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The narrative titled “Kāśī-praveśa” is prescribed to be recited repeatedly as japa (devotional repetition).