Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

किमत्र चित्रं यत्काशी मदीयमपिमानसम् । निश्चलं चंचलयति गणना केतरेसुरे

Transliteration

kimatra citraṃ yatkāśī madīyamapimānasam | niścalaṃ caṃcalayati gaṇanā ketaresure

Translation

اس میں تعجب کیا کہ کاشی میرے ثابت قدم من کو بھی بے قرار کر دیتی ہے؟ بھلا کون سی دوسری دیوی طاقت اس کے برابر گنی جا سکتی ہے؟

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = locative adverb; अत्र = here

• citram: wonder, marvel
• citram: Pradhāna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘किम्’ इत्यस्य विधेयम् (predicate)

• yat: that which / because
• yat: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

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

• madīyam: my
• madīyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘mānasam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• api: even
• api: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = even

• mānasam: mind
• mānasam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• niścalam: steady, unmoving
• niścalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of mānasam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘mānasam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• caṃcalayati: makes (it) restless
• caṃcalayati: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: caṃcal (धातु/नामधातु; causative sense)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कारणार्थक-प्रयोगः = makes (it) unsteady

• gaṇanā: what then of / how much more
• gaṇanā: Prayojaka-vākya-aṅga (Idiomatic exclamation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; अत्र ‘कथं/कुतः’ इत्यर्थे (as an exclamation: what to say of...)

• ke: which
• ke: Karta (Implied subject with asure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘के’ = which/what (people)

• itare: other
• itare: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘asure’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• asure: O asura
• asure: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; पाठे ‘asure’ = O asura; (के इतराः असुराः इति सन्देहः—पाठभेदसम्भवः)

Speaker

Hara (Śiva) (deduced from Adhyāya 2 context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, expressive scene: Shiva’s calm face shows a subtle shift—eyes brightening, posture slightly animated—signaling inner stirring at the mere thought of Kāśī; cosmic backdrop hints no other deity compares.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Hara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s greatness is declared incomparable: it awakens longing and devotion even in a mind that is ordinarily immovable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) itself, praised as unequalled among sacred powers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse functions as mahātmya praise (stuti) of Kāśī.