Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

काश्याश्च वर्णनं तस्माद्योगिनीवर्णनं ततः । लोलार्कस्य समाख्यानमुत्तरार्ककथा ततः

Transliteration

kāśyāśca varṇanaṃ tasmādyoginīvarṇanaṃ tataḥ | lolārkasya samākhyānamuttarārkakathā tataḥ

Translation

اس کے بعد کاشی کا بیان ہے؛ پھر یوگنیوں کا بیان۔ پھر لولارک کی مکمل حکایت ہے، اور اس کے بعد اُتّرارک کی روایت آتی ہے۔

Word by Word

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

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• varṇanam: description
• varṇanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tasmāt: from that; thereafter
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-तस्मदः पञ्चमी (5th) एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् — 'from that/thereafter'

• yoginī-varṇanam: description of the Yoginī
• yoginī-varṇanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoginī (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (योगिन्याः वर्णनम्)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

• lolārkasya: of Lolārka
• lolārkasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lolārka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• samākhyānam: narrative; account
• samākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sam-ā√khyā (धातु) → samākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; धातुजन्य-नाम (आख्यान)

• uttarārka-kathā: story of Uttarārka
• uttarārka-kathā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + arka (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उत्तरार्कस्य कथा)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka; Uttarārka (within Kāśī)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī map-like scene: the city described, then a ring of Yoginīs as guardian goddesses, followed by a sunrise ritual at Lolārka and a subsequent solar narrative at Uttarārka.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yoginīs
• Lolārka
• Uttarārka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a convergence of powers—Śākta Yoginī currents and Sūrya-tīrthas coexist within the same sacred map.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka (a Sūrya-associated sacred spot in Kāśī) and the broader kṣetra of Kāśī itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as an index pointing to forthcoming tīrtha-kathās.