Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

इमामर्चिष्मतीं पश्य वीतिहोत्रपुरीं शुभाम् । जातवेदसि ये भक्तास्ते वसंत्यत्र सुव्रताः

Transliteration

imāmarciṣmatīṃ paśya vītihotrapurīṃ śubhām | jātavedasi ye bhaktāste vasaṃtyatra suvratāḥ

Translation

请观此光辉吉祥之城——毗提霍特罗城（Vītihotrapurī）。凡敬奉阇多吠陀（阿耆尼，Agni）者，守持善誓，皆居于此。

Word by Word

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश (this)

• arciṣmatīm: radiant
• arciṣmatīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arciṣmatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गुणवाचक (radiant)

• paśya: see, behold
• paśya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vīti-hotra-purīm: the city of Vītihotra
• vīti-hotra-purīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīti (प्रातिपदिक) + hotra (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—"वीतिहोत्रस्य पुरी" (city of Vītihotra)

• śubhām: auspicious, beautiful
• śubhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• jātavedasi: in/for Jātavedas (Agni)
• jātavedasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jātavedas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देवता-नाम (Agni)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• bhaktāḥ: devotees
• bhaktāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vasanti: live, dwell
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• su-vratāḥ: of good vows, virtuous
• su-vratāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—"सुन्दरं/शोभनं व्रतं येषां ते" (of good vows)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vītihotrapurī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant city bathed in golden light; at its center a sacred fire burns steadily. Devotees with calm faces offer ghee; Agni appears as a youthful deity with flames as aura; the air shimmers with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Arcīṣmatī
• Vītihotrapurī
• Jātavedas (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion joined with disciplined vows (vrata) is celebrated as the hallmark of those fit to dwell in luminous sacred realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vītihotrapurī—also described as Arcīṣmatī—an auspicious, radiant city within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti to Agni (Jātavedas) and observance of good vows (su-vrata) are indicated, though no single named rite is mandated.