Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । निशामय महाबाहो विष्णो त्रैलोक्यसुंदर । प्राप्तं वाराणसीत्याख्यामविमुक्तं यथा तथा

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | niśāmaya mahābāho viṣṇo trailokyasuṃdara | prāptaṃ vārāṇasītyākhyāmavimuktaṃ yathā tathā

Translation

自在天说：且听，臂力无双的毗湿奴，三界之美者——我将说此地如何得名“瓦拉纳西”，又如何亦称“阿毗穆克塔”（Avimukta）。

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निशामय: listen, hear
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यसुन्दर: O beauty of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यसुन्दर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्राप्तम्: obtained, reached
• प्राप्तम्: Karma/Predicate (Object or predicative/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इति: thus, called
• इति: Sambandha/Marker (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• आख्याम्: named, having the appellation
• आख्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (the ‘never-abandoned’ place)
• अविमुक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (manner/comparison adverb)

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप-प्रकारवाचक (correlative adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Viṣṇu in a luminous, timeless assembly, introducing the secret of Kāśī’s names—Vārāṇasī and Avimukta—suggesting the city as a radiant mandala behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Viṣṇu
• Vārāṇasī
• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s identity as Avimukta is divinely affirmed—Śiva declares it as a uniquely protected, never-abandoned sacred realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, specifically as Avimukta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a theological account of Kāśī’s names and status.