Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इति गौरीरितं श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच पिनाकधृक् । पंचक्रोशपरीमाणे क्षेत्रेस्मिन्मुक्तिसद्मनि

Transliteration

iti gaurīritaṃ śrutvā pratyuvāca pinākadhṛk | paṃcakrośaparīmāṇe kṣetresminmuktisadmani

Translation

Nghe lời Gaurī, Đấng mang cung Pināka đáp: “Trong thánh địa này—được đo bằng Pañcakrośa—chính là ngôi nhà của giải thoát…”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक अव्यय (quotative)

• गौरीरितम्: what was said by Gaurī
• गौरीरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + ईरित (प्रातिपदिक; √ईर्/ईरय्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गौर्याः ईरितम् = by Gaurī spoken)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; धातुः—वच् (to speak) उपसर्गः—प्रति (in reply)

• पिनाकधृक्: the bearer of the Pināka (Śiva)
• पिनाकधृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाक + धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पिनाकं धरतीति)

• पञ्चक्रोशपरीमाणे: within the measure of five krośas
• पञ्चक्रोशपरीमाणे: Adhikarana (Location/extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + क्रोश + परिमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्चक्रोशः परिमाणम् यस्य तत्)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Deictic locator)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुक्तिसद्मनि: in the abode of liberation
• मुक्तिसद्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः सद्म)

Speaker

Śiva (Pinākadhṛk), replying to Gaurī (within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcakrośa-kṣetra (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, bearer of the Pināka, begins his explanation to Gaurī within the luminous Kāśī mandala, indicating the Pañcakrośa-measured field as a ‘muktisadman’; the scene feels like a sacred cartography lesson delivered in a serene grove.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Pinākadhṛk)
• Gaurī
• Pañcakrośa (Kāśī sacred circuit)
• Mukti (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is defined not only by devotion but by sacred geography—the Pañcakrośa kṣetra is explicitly framed as an abode of mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pañcakrośa Kāśī-kṣetra (the traditional five-krośa sacred circuit of Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly references the Pañcakrośa extent foundational to the Pañcakrośī-yātrā, though no direct injunction appears in this verse.