Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कांच्यवंती द्वारवती काश्ययोध्या च पंचमी । मायापुरी च मथुरा पुर्यः सप्त विमुक्तिदाः

Transliteration

kāṃcyavaṃtī dvāravatī kāśyayodhyā ca paṃcamī | māyāpurī ca mathurā puryaḥ sapta vimuktidāḥ

Translation

建祇（Kāñcī）、堕罗伐底（Dvāravatī）、迦尸（Kāśī）、以及作为第五的阿踰陀（Ayodhyā）；又有摩耶城（Māyāpurī，即哈利德瓦尔）与摩图罗（Mathurā）——此七圣城能赐予解脱。

Word by Word

• काञ्च्यवन्ती: Kāñcī (Kāñcīpurī)
• काञ्च्यवन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्ची + वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—काञ्ची-सम्बन्धिनी (काञ्च्याः वन्ती)

• द्वारवती: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)
• द्वारवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काश्ययोध्या: Kāśī and Ayodhyā
• काश्ययोध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (काशी च अयोध्या च) एकवचन-समाहार/सूच्यर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• पञ्चमी: the fifth
• पञ्चमी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• मायापुरी: Māyāpurī
• मायापुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मायायाः पुरी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• मथुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुर्यः: cities
• पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अत्र प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• विमुक्तिदाः: granting liberation
• विमुक्तिदाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुक्ति + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—विमुक्तिं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीह्यर्थसन्निकर्ष)

Speaker

Viṣṇu-gaṇa (two attendants) (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-purī (collective)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like tableau: seven radiant cities represented as jeweled lotuses around a central axis, with Kāśī shining prominently; pilgrims and deities subtly indicated in each city vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Kāñcī
• Dvārakā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Ayodhyā
• Māyāpurī (Haridvāra)
• Mathurā
• Mokṣa-purī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as a dharmic path where certain sacred cities are uniquely celebrated as gateways to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the sapta-mokṣa-purīs, explicitly including Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a foremost liberating city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the implied practice is visiting (yātrā) these sacred cities as part of a liberation-oriented life.