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

Vì từ thời điểm ấy trở đi, Đức Chúa đã đạt được điều vốn khó thể đạt nơi đây; bởi vậy, bản thánh truyện tối thượng mang tên “Nhập vào Kāśī” này cần được tụng như japa (niệm tụng lặp lại trong sùng kính).

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).